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IVaterloiv  <&*  Sons, 


ST.    MARKS.    VENICE. 


I'libiishtd  by  Ceorgt  AtUtt,  London. 


The  Bible  of  St.  Mark 
St.  Mark's  Church  ^  The 
Altar  &  Throne  of  Venice 
By  Alexander  Robertson,  d.d., 

aAuthor  of  "  Fra  Paolo  Sarpi,"  "  Through  the 
Dolomites,"  Gfc.  ^^t^  With  Eighty-three  Illustrations 


London  :    George  Allen,  Ruskhi  House 
156    Charing   Cross   Road   J5i*    mdcccxcviii 

All  rights  reiewed 


'To  my  Wife 


PREFACE 

I  BELIEVE  that  there  are  few  buildings  in  exist- 
ence more  worthy  of  being  minutely  and  accu- 
rately described,  and  of  having  their  histories 
fully  written,  than  St.  Mark's  Church, 
Venice ;  and  I  believe  that  there  are  few 
people  for  whom  such  a  description  and  history 
should  have  a  greater  interest  than  for  those  of 
English-speaking  countries.  Absolutely  unique 
in  the  variety,  wealth  and  preciousness  of  its 
sculptured  marbles,  and  of  its  gold  and  coloured 
mosaics,  it  embodies  and  expresses  the  Religion, 
and  throws  light  on  the  Policy  of  a  great 
Commonwealth,  that,  throughout  long  centuries, 
held  the  place  intellectually  and  commercially 
amongst  the  nations  of  the  world,  that  England 
holds  to-day.  And  when  one  knows  the 
religion  and  the  policy  of  a  nation,  or,  what 
Thomas  Arnold  of  Rugby  calls,  "  their  duties 
and  affections  towards  God,"  and  "  their  duties 


vi  PREFACE 

and  feelings  towards  men,"  one  knows  the 
source  and  strength  of  their  life. 

The  Religion  of  the  old  Venetians,  as  disclosed 
in  St.  Mark's  Church,  was  altogether  Biblical. 
Originally  there  was  little  inscribed  upon  its 
walls  and  domes  in  sculpture,  text,  and  mosaic, 
that  was  not  drawn  directly  and  wholly  from  the 
Jewish  and  Christian  Scriptures.  It  is  true  that 
in  later  times  some  few  mosaics  and  inscriptions 
of  a  different  character  were  introduced  into  the 
church,  but  they  were  not  sufficient  to  impair 
to  any  extent  its  character,  and  even  these,  I  am 
glad  to  say,  are  being  gradually  removed,  and 
facsimiles  of  the  original  ones,  the  cartoons  of 
which  have  been  fortunately  preserved,  are  being 
put  up  in  their  places.  St.  Mark's  is  thus  gradu- 
ally regaining  its  pristine  purity  and  simplicity. 
Because,  then,  of  this,  its  Scriptural  character,  I 
have  called  it  the  Bible  of  St.  Mark  ;  and 
I  have  made  this  the  main  title  of  my  book,  as 
it  is  the  point  of  view  from  which  I  have  chiefly 
regarded  it. 

But,  as  I  have  said,  St.  Mark's  Church  also 
throws  light  on  the  Policy  of  a  great  country, 
and  this  in  a  very  important  matter,  namely,  the 
relation  which  the  civil  power  held  to  the  ecclesi- 
astical. This,  as  we  learn  from  St.  Mark's,  was 
one  of  absolute  supremacy.     In  the  church  one 


PREFACE  vii 

influence  was  felt,  one  voice  was  heard,  one  will 
was  paramount,  one  mind  was  expressed  always 
and  in  everything — that  of  the  reigning  Doge, 
acting  directly,  or  through  his  Procurators.  The 
Doge  was  the  head  of  the  Church  in  Venice,  as 
Queen  Victoria  is  the  head  of  the  Church  in 
England,  or,  to  take  a  more  exact  historical 
parallel,  as  Moses  and  his  successors  in  civil 
authority  were  heads  over  Aaron,  and  the  Jewish 
Church  and  priesthood.  Indeed,  Mr.  Ruskin,  in 
a  note  on  the  "  Power  of  the  Doges,"  appended 
to  the  first  volume  of  his  Stones  of  Venice^ 
says,  "  the  subjection  of  the  ecclesiastical  to  the 
popular  and  ducal  powers,  throughout  her  career 
was  one  of  the  most  remarkable  features  in 
the  policy  of  Venice."  Because  then  of  this 
sovereignty  of  the  Doge  in  spiritual  matters, 
because  of  this  blending  of  the  political  and 
the  ecclesiastical  in  St.  Mark's  Church,  with 
the  Doge  as  head  over  all,  I  have  called  it 
the  Altar  and  the  Throne  of  Venice, 
and  have  made  this  the  sub-title  of  my  book. 
And,  from  my  own  personal  study  of  Venetian 
history,  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying,  that  on 
these  two  principles,  preserved  and  exhibited  in 
St.  Mark's  Church — an  open  Bible^  and  absolute 
freedom  from  priestly  domination — rested,  to  a 
large  extent,  the  stability  and  prosperity  of  the 


viii  PREFACE 

old  Republic  of  Venice,  as  on  them  rest,  to  a 
large  extent,  the  stability  and  prosperity  of 
England  to-day. 

The  illustrations  in  the  book  were  all  taken 
expressly  for  it,  those  in .  black  and  white  from 
photographs  by  Signor  Carlo  Naya,  the  chief 
photographer  in  Venice,  and  those  in  colour,  in 
the  Edition  de  Luxe,  from  oil-paintings  by 
Signor  Millo  Bortoluzzi,  a  distinguished  young 
Venetian  painter.  With  few  exceptions  none  of 
the  subjects  have  ever  been  photographed  before. 
Indeed,  the  very  possibility  of  taking  some  of 
them,  such  as  the  Virtues  of  the  Ascension 
Cupola,  and  the  Crypt,  did  not  previously  exist. 
No  pains  have  been  spared  by  Mr.  George  Allen 
in  the  reproduction,  and  I  trust  that  they  will 
be  found  not  only  interesting  and  beautiful,  but 
useful  in  helping  to  a  just  appreciation  and 
understanding  of  this  great  Christian  monument. 
My  thanks  are  due  to  Signor  Naya  for  his 
careful  work.  I  also  desire  to  thank  my  friend, 
Signor  Pietro  Saccardo,  the  eminent  architect, 
to  whom  the  Italian  Government  has  confided 
the  care  of  St.  Mark's,  for  the  special  facilities 
he  accorded  my  artists  in  their  labours,  and 
more  especially  for  his  kindness  to  me  per- 
sonally, throughout  many  years — keeping  me 
informed    of  the   works   he   was    carrying    on 


PREFACE  ix 

in  the  building,  and  of  any  discoveries  of 
moment  which  he  made,  and  in  giving  me  access 
to  his  own  governmental  reports,  and  to  his 
other  writings  which  have  since  been  published 
separately,  or  as  contributions  to  Signor  Ongania's 
Basilica  di  San  Marco.  References  to  other 
writers,  ancient  and  modern,  whom  I  have 
consulted,  will  be  found  in  the  text,  but  I  wish 
particularly  to  express  my  indebtedness  to  Mr. 
Ruskin,  repeating  here  that  which  I  told  him 
when  I  saw  him  during  his  last  visit  to  Venice, 
now  eight  years  ago,  that  it  was  he  who  first 
opened  my  eyes,  as  he  must  have  opened  the 
eyes  of  thousands,  to  the  meaning  of  this  unique 
city  of  Venice,  and  of  this  unique  building,  at 
once  its  Altar  and  its  Throne — the  glorious 
and  imperishable  Bible  of  St.  Mark. 


ALEXANDER  ROBERTSON. 


Ca'  Struan,  Venice. 
May  I,  1898. 


CONTENTS 


How  THE  Bible  of  St.   Mark  was  Made 


Page 

I 


Chap. 

1. 

II. 

III. 


PART  I 
THE   TITLE-PAGE 

INSCRIBED  ON  THE  FAgADE 

What  the  Title-Page  Says  of  Christ    . 
What  the  Title-Page  Says  of  St.  Mark 
What     the     Title-Page     Says    of     the 
Venetians  ..... 

PART  II 
THE    OLD    TESTAMENT 

INSCRIBED  IN  THE  ATRIUM 

I.  The  Creation           ..... 

II.  The  History  of  Cain  and  Abel     . 

III.  The  History  of  Noah  and  the  Deluge 

IV.  The  Tower  of  Babel  and  the  Dispersion 
V.  The  History  of  Abraham 

VI.  The  History  of  Joseph  . 

VII.  The  History  of  Joseph  {contittued) 

VIII.  The  History  of  Joseph  {continued) 

IX.  The  History  of  Moses  . 


30 
58 

7+ 


107 
123 

128 

137 
142 

155 
165 

177 

187 


Xll 


CONTENTS 


PART  III 
THE    NEW    TESTAMENT 

INSCRIBED  IN  THE  INTERIOR 

Chap.  Page 

General  Characteristics           .         .          .  203 

I.     The  Birth  and  Infancy  of  our  Lord    .  210 
II.     Our  Lord's  Preparation    for  his  Public 

Ministry  .  .  .  .  .  .221 

III.  The  Discourses  of  our  Lord  .          .         .  227 

IV.  The  Miracles  of  our   Lord    .          .          .  239 
V.      Closing     Scenes     and     Incidents    in     our 

Lord's  Life       .....  259 

VI.     The  Passion  of  our  Lord       .          .          .  266 

VII.     Our  Lord's  Resurrection  AND  Appearances  273 

VIII.     The  Ascension 278 

IX.     Pentecost         .  .  .  .         .  -294 

X.     The  Acts  of  the  Apostles      .         .         .  300 

XI.     Revelation 315 

APPENDIX 
Note 

A.     Additional  Scenes  in   St.   Mark's  Life        .  331 

i>.                               >J                          »>                         5>                          55                          55                          •  334 

C.  „             „           IN   Christ's  Infancy       .  336 

D.  Life  of  John  the  Baptist  .         .          .         .  338 

E.  Crucifixion          ......  344 

F.  The  Apostles  Baptizing      ....  348 
G.     The    Four    Sculptured    Columns    of    the 

CiBORiuM     ......  350 

H.     The  Pala  d'Oro 354 

I.     The  Chapel  of  St.  Isidore        .         .         '357 

K.     The  Treasury 359 

Index 363 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 

^'' The  Bible  of  St.  Mark''        .  .  .  Fronthfiece 

"  The  Bible  of  St.  Mark  "...    Facing  page     I 

^Gothic  Lateral  Door  of  St.  Alipius     .  .  „         lo 

Gentile  Bellini's  Picture  of  St.  Mark's,  1496 

(/»  the  Academy.,  Venice^      .         .  .  ,,28 

Christ  the  Keystone «        3° 

Great  Central  Doorway       .  .  .  .  ,,32 

\ First  and  Second  Archivolts  {Great  Central 

Doorway')   ......  v         3^ 

\Last  Judgment  and  Third  Archivolt  {Great 

Central  Doorway")         ....  ,,40 

Byzantine  Lateral  Doorway  {Right  of  Main 

Entrance)  ......  ,,42 

Byzantine  Lateral  Doorway  {Left  of  Main 

Entrance)  ......  ,,44 

Gothic  Lateral  Door-Window       .  .  .  „        44*? 

The  Deposition  ( Upper  Tier  of  Arches)  .         .  „        4^ 
Patriarchs    on    Great   Archivolt    of  Central 

Window      .         .  .  .  .  .  5)        5^ 

Evangelists  on  Great    Archivolt   of  Central 

Window „        ^"^a 

Tabernacle  of  St.  Luke         .         .         .         .  ,,54 

„  St.  Mark      ....  ,,54^^ 

St.  John        ....  ,,56 

„  St.  Matthew .         .         .         .  „        56^ 


XIV 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


Ola 


\The  Lion  of  St.  Mark 

Reception  of  St.  Mark's  Body 

Original  Facade  of  St.  Mark  {Mosaic  over 

the  Door  of  St.  Alipius) 
The  Crypt  and  Tomb  of  St.  Mark 
Trades  Archivolt — Architecture^  Boatbuilding. 

fVifie-selling,  Baking    . 
Trades  Archivolt — Woodsazving,  Blacksmith 

Trade,  Fishing    .... 
\  Bronze  Horses  and  Apex  of  Facade 
t  Time  Archivolt — January,  February,  March 
t    „  „  April,  May,  June     . 

t    „  „  Ju^y,  August,  Septe?nber 

t    „  „  October,     November,     De 

cember 
Diagram    of  Mosaics   in   the  Atrium 

Testament  .... 
\The  Creation  {Atrium,  First  Cupola) 
The  Atrium,  looking  North  . 
Noah  Building  and  Entering  the  Ark 
The  Deluge        .... 
The  Tower  of  Babel  and  the  Dispersion 
History  of  Abraham  {Atrium,  Second  Cupola) 
^  Abraham  Receiving  the  Three  Angels 
'^The  Atrium,  looking  South 
Side  Atrium        .... 
Joseph    and    his    Brethren    {Atrium,    Third) 

Cupola)       .... 
Joseph  as  Potiphar's  Servant  {Atrium,  Fourth 

Cupola)       ..... 
Pharaoh's  Second  Dream 
\ Joseph,   Governor  of  Egypt  {Atrium,  Fifth 

Cupola)       ..... 
Jacob  Sending  Benjamin  to  Egypt 


Facing  page   5  " 

„     ee 

„       68 

7° 

8o 


92 

9+ 
96 

98 

100 


106 

108 

122 

128 

132 

138 

ipola)  .           „ 

142 

152 

„ 

15  + 

„ 

156 

160 

166 
174 

178 

184 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


XV 


The     History    of    S^oses     {Atrium^     Sixth 

Cupola) Facing 

The  Divine  Child      .... 
Diagram  of  U^osaics  in  the  Interior.      Nezv 

Testament  .... 

^The  Interior  ..... 
The  "  jEdicula  "  and  North  Aisle 
Youthful     Christ       {on     wall      of     North 

Aisle) 

Hosea  and  Joel  (on  wall  of  North  Aisle) 

The  Infancy  of  Our  Lord — Scenes  5,  6,  7, 

The  Temptation         .... 

Discourse  at  Nazareth 

Isaiah  and  David      .... 

Solomon  and  Ezekiel 

'^"  I  am  the  Door" . 

Christ  and  the   Woman  of  Samaria  {South 

Transept,  East  Fault) 
Christ  and  Zacchaus  {South  Transept,  East 

Vault) 

First  dVIultiplication  of  the  Loaves  and  Fishe 

{South  Transept,  East  Vault) 
Christ  Opening  the  Eyes  of  the  Blind  (Man 

{South  Transept,  East  l\mlt) 
Triumphal  Entry  into  Jerusalem 
\The  Feet-Washing,  and  the    Institution   of 

the  Lord^s  Supper 
Gethsematie  {First  and  Second  Prayer) 
Gethsemane  { Third  Prayer) 
The  Ascension  {Central  Cupola) 
t"  Why  stand  ye  gazing  up  into  Heaven  ?  ' 

{Ascension  Cupola)     . 
Evangelists  on  the  S\Iount  of  Olives  {A seen 

si  on  Cupola)      .... 


page   192 
,  198 


202 
204 
206 


208 
208tf 

214 

224 

228 

230 

230(7 
232 

236 

238 

250 

254 
260 

262 
266 
268 

278 

278^ 
280 


XVI 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


Apostles  on  the  3\iount  of  Olives  {Jscension 

Cupola)     ......   Facing  page  zSoa 

Temperance   and    Understanding    [^Ascension 

Cupola)    .         .         .         .         .         .  ,,282 

(Mercy  {^Ascension  Cupola)  .         ...  „        284 

Steadfastness  {Ascension  Cupola)          .         .  „        286 
\SS.  John,  James,  (Mark,  and  Peter  {Ascen- 
sion Cupola)      .         .         .         .         .  „        zS6a 

Love  {Ascension  Cupola)    .         .         .         .  ,,288 

Hope  {Ascension  Cupola)    ....  „        288^7 

Faith  {Ascension  Cupola)  .  .         .  .  ,,290 

Fortitude  {Ascension  Cupola)      .         .         .  „        290(7 

\ Pentecost  {West  Cupola)  ....  „        294 

St.  James  the  Less  and  St.  Philip       .         .  „        310 

(Micah  and  Jeremiah  .  .  .  .  „         336 

Herod's  Birthday  Feast      ....  „        342 

fThe  Baptistery  Dome.      The  Apostles  Bap- 
tizing      ......  „        348 

\The''  Pala  d'Oro''         ....  ,,354 


*#*  The  four  illustrations  marketi  *  are  colour-reproductions  from 
paintings  by  Signor  Millo  Bortoluzzi.  Those  marked  f  are  from  blocks 
made  for  this  edition  only. 


O    Z 


THE  BIBLE  OF  ST.  MARK 
VENICE 

HOW   IT   WAS   MADE 

Venice  has  produced  many  Bibles.  In  1469, 
according  to  the  consensus  of  opinion,  she 
learned  the  art  of  printing,  and  in  a  com- 
paratively short  time  thereafter,  that  is,  in  the 
calends  of  August  1471,  she  produced  the 
Bibbia  Volgare  His  tor  lata  (Bible  in  the  Vulgar 
Tongue,  Illustrated),  being  the  complete  Bible, 
in  two  folio  volumes,  translated  from  the 
Vulgate  into  Italian  by  Nicolaus  de  Malermi,  a 
Venetian,  of  the  Order  of  the  Cistercians.  Two 
months  later,  in  the  calends  of  October  1471, 
another  complete  Bible  in  the  vernacular  came 
out,  entitled,  Bibbia  Sacra  Volgare  (Holy  Bible 
in  the  Vulgar  Tongue).  The  title-page  bears 
no  name,  so  the  translator  is  unknown.     This 


2  THE   BIBLE   OF   ST.   MARK 

Bible  also  is  in  two  folio  volumes,  and  is  beauti- 
fully printed,  with  handsome  hand-painted 
initial  letters.  Thus,  one  of  the  very  first 
books  Venice  printed,  and  certainly  her  first 
book  of  any  magnitude,  was  the  Bible  ;  and 
that,  too,  in  Italian.  She  consecrated  the  new 
art,  in  which  she  was  destined  to  obtain  a 
world-wide  celebrity,  to  the  production  of  the 
Scriptures  in  a  language  intelligible  to  the 
common  people. 

During  the  remaining  twenty-nine  years  of 
the  fifteenth  century,  from  147 1  to  1500,  as 
Venice  rose  to  be  a  great  printing  and  publish- 
ing centre,  possessing  more  typographers  than 
all  the  other  cities  of  Italy  put  together,  the 
Bible  held  a  first  place  amongst  the  productions 
of  her  presses.  Altogether  twenty-six  editions 
of  the  complete  Bible,  besides  many  parts  and 
portions,  came  out,  published  by  ten  different 
well-known  houses  ;  making  a  new  edition  for 
nearly  every  year  of  the  period.  Whilst,  too, 
the  majority  of  these  editions  were  of  folio  size, 
costing — if  we  may  judge  from  a  note  that  has 
come  down  to  us,  regarding  an  issue  of  1478, 
which  consisted  of  930  copies  at  430  golden 
ducats  (^430) — about  nine  shillings  and  three 
pence  each,  yet  towards  the  end  of  the  century 
quarto  and  octavo  Bibles  began  to  appear,  but  at 


HOW  IT  WAS   MADE  3 

three  francs  each,  or  half  a  crown ;  thus  bringing 
the  Holy  Scriptures  pretty  well  within  the  reach 
of  all.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  Aldo  Manuzio, 
who  established  his  famous  printing  press  in 
Venice  in  149 1,  conceived  the  great  idea  of  a 
polyglot  Bible,  and  actually  began  the  printing 
of  it  in  collateral  columns  of  Hebrew,  Greek, 
and  Latin. 

In  the  course  of  the  next  century,  from  1500 
to  1 600,  sixty-three  editions  of  the  complete  Bible 
were  produced.  These  were  in  Italian,  Latin, 
Greek,  Hebrew,  Chaldee,  and  several  other 
languages;  and  in  all  forms  and  sizes,  from  folio 
down  to  sexto-decimo.  One,  an  Italian  edition 
of  1532,  was  a  new  version  by  Antonio  Brucioli, 
who  professed  to  have  translated  it  from  the 
original  Hebrew  and  Greek. 

During  the  two  succeeding  centuries  there 
was  a  great  falling  off  in  the  production  of 
Bibles,  only  twenty-eight  editions  coming  out  in 
the  seventeenth  century,  and  only  sixteen  in 
the  eighteenth.  In  the  present  century  but 
nine  complete  Bibles,  and  seventeen  parts  of 
Bibles,  have  been  published.  All  these  appeared 
before  the  close  of  1842,  in  which  year  was 
published  a  Bible  in  Italian  and  in  Latin  in  four 
volumes  by  Antonelli,  the  last  to  issue  from  a 
Venetian  printing  press. 


4  THE   BIBLE   OF   ST.   MARK 

And  where  are  those  Bibles  now  ?  A  few  of 
them  are  to  be  found  in  Venice,  amongst  which, 
fortunately,  there  is  a  specimen  of  the  first, 
and  of  the  last  published,  that  of  the  calends  of 
October  1471,  and  that  of  1842.  But  of  the 
majority  of  these  Venetian  Bibles  all  that  is 
left  to  us  is  the  record  of  the  fact  that  they 
once  existed. 

But  long  before  147 1  Venice  produced  a  Bible 
which  she  still  possesses,  and  from  which  she  will 
never  part.  It  is  a  great  illuminated  volume 
which  it  took  her  centuries  to  produce.  Its 
Text  is  precious.  It  is  that  of  the  Vetus  Itala^ 
or  Old  Italic  Version,  the  very  earliest  Latin 
translation  of  the  whole  Canon  of  Scripture  which 
we  possess,  having  been  made  at  the  end  of  the 
first  century,  and  at  the  beginning  of  the  second, 
and  which  remained  in  use  till  the  end  of  the 
fourth,  when  it  was  supplanted  throughout  the 
Church,  though  not  in  Venice,  by  the  version  of 
Jerome,  which  was  undertaken  as  a  revision  of 
it.  In  the  Old  Testament  section  of  this  Bible 
the  quotations  from  the  Vetus  Itala  are  made 
simply  and  directly,  in  the  New  Testament 
section  they  are  thrown  into  Leonine  hexameter 
verses,  rhyming  in  the  middle  and  at  the  end. 
Greek  epigraphs,  and  even  some  Arabic  words 
are  interspersed  in  the  text.     As  the  printing 


HOW   IT  WAS   MADE  5 

was  not  accomplished  all  at  once — indeed  it  ex- 
tended throughout  three  centuries,  from  the 
eleventh  to  the  thirteenth — it  is  not  surprising 
that  a  variety  of  type  has  been  employed,  and 
different  forms  of  the  same  type  at  different 
times.  The  constantly  recurring  ones,  however, 
are  Roman  and  Gothic.  As  the  number  of  the 
leaves  of  this  Bible  were  limited,  and  the  text 
was  subordinated  to  the  illustrations,  many  con- 
tractions were  adopted,  letters  being  omitted 
from  words,  and  words  from  sentences,  the 
omissions  being,  however,  always  indicated  by 
signs.  Its  Illustrations  are  precious.  They 
appeal  to  the  eye,  and  we  remember  what  we  see 
better  than  what  we  hear.  There  is  truth  in 
the  maxim,  "  Eyes  first,  hands  next,  ears  last." 
And  they  appeal  to  our  sense  of  beauty,  for 

We're  made  so  that  we  love 
First  when  we  see  them  painted,  things  we  have  passed 
Perhaps  a  hundred  times,  nor  cared  to  see. 

And  these  illustrations  not  only  imprint 
themselves  on  the  mind  through  the  eye,  and 
give  pleasure  by  meeting  that  love  of  line  and 
form  and  colour  divinely  implanted  in  us,  but 
they  fulfil  in  a  superlative  degree  the  highest 
mission  of  art,  by  exhibiting  and  conveying  to 
the  mind    spiritual   truths  under  the  aspect  of 


6  THE  BIBLE   OF  ST.  MARK 

beauty,  for  the  moulding  of  character,  and  the 
government  of  life.     This  mission  they  fulfil 
to-day  ;  but  to  estimate  its  importance  we  must 
remember  that  when  they  first  began  "  to  speak 
in  silence  upon  the  wall,"  from  five  to  eight 
centuries   ago,    the    bulk   of  the   people   were 
illiterate,  and  there  were  no  printed  Bibles  to  put 
into  the  hands  of  the  few  who  could  read.    "  Fill 
the  holy  sanctuary  on  both  sides  with  histories  of 
the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  by  the  hand  of  a 
skilful  artist,  in  order  that  those  who  are  unable 
to  read  the  Divine  Scriptures  may,  by  looking  at 
the  paintings,  call  to  mind  the  courage  of  men 
who  have  served  the  true  God,  and  be  stirred  by 
emulation   of  their   heroic   exploits,"    was   the 
advice    of  Nilus    in   the    fifth    century.     And, 
Gregory,  Bishop    of  Nyssa,    a   century    before 
had  said,  that  even  the  pavements  of  churches 
(which,  like  St.  Mark's,  were  made  of  marble 
mosaics)  ought   to   contain    symbolic    teaching 
for  the  people.     These  pictures,  then,  formed 
the    Bible    for    those    who    could    have    little 
access  to  the  Scriptures  in  manuscript.     They 
formed    the    true    Biblia    Pauperum    of    the 
Venetians. 

The  pictures  are  mosaics,  the  substance  chiefly 
used  in  their  composition  being  glass.  Mosaic 
work  is  emphatically  a  Christian  art,  though  it 


HOW   IT   WAS  MADE  7 

was  not  unknown  in  certain  forms  to  the  ancient 
Persians  ;  and  in  the  book  of  Esther,  written 
probably  about  480  b.c,  we  read  that  the  court 
of  the  garden  of  the  palace  at  Shushan  of  King 
Ahasuerus  had  a  mosaic  pavement  of  red  and 
blue,  and  white  and  black  marble.  It  was  the 
Emperor  Constantine  who  brought  this  art  into 
general  use.  In  the  fourth  century  he  applied 
it  very  extensively  to  church-wall  decoration, 
and  it  has  been  devoted  to  this  service  almost 
exclusively  ever  since.  The  background  of  the 
illustrations  for  this  Bible  is  of  gold,  the  tesseras 
for  which  are  formed  by  putting  thin  sheets  of  the 
precious  metal  between  two  layers  of  glass  and 
fusing  them  together.  Black  tesserae  are  scattered 
amongst  the  gold,  to  break  the  otherwise  too  bril- 
liant mirror-like  reflection.  The  illustrations 
themselves  are  composed  of  cubes  of  glass  coloured 
throughout,  the  dye  being  mixed  with  the 
vitreous  substance  in  the  furnace.  Little  else 
than  the  primitive  colours  were  used,  and  yet 
they  are  much  more  effective  than  the  sixty 
thousand  tints  employed  in  modern  mosaic  work. 
Their  design  and  colouring,  largely  modified 
however  by  local  Venetian  influences,  follow  the 
laws  and  directions  laid  down  for  the  illustration 
of  Scripture  in  the  Code  of  the  Byzan- 
tine School  of  Christian  Iconography, 


8  THE   BIBLE   OF   ST.   MARK 

which  had  its  seat  on  Mount  Athos,  the  Holy 
Hill  of  Greece.  This  Code,  discovered  quite 
recently  (1839),  in  a  monastery  on  Mount 
Athos,  by  Mons.  Didron,  Paris,  was  called  'Epfx- 
rmia  rfjg  ttoypcKpixm  (The  Interpretation  of  Life- 
painting),  and  although  no  precise  date  can  be 
assigned  for  its  compilation,  it  yet  goes  back  in 
its  main  parts  like  the  Felus  Itala  text,  to  times 
before  Jerome.  The  illustrations  are  thus  neces- 
sarily conventional  in  form,  but  they  are  full  of 
life,  and  beauty,  and  dignity.  An  interesting 
fact  in  regard  to  those  of  the  Old  Testament 
section  of  this  Bible  is  that  they  are  identical  in 
design,  or  nearly  so,  with  the  miniature  paintings 
that  adorned  the  Codex  Cottonianus.  This  Codex 
was  brought  to  England  from  Philippi  by  two 
Greek  Bishops,  who  presented  it  to  King  Henry 
VJIL,  telling  him  that  it  was  believed  to  have 
belonged  to  Origen,  "  the  father  of  biblical 
criticism,"  which  would  carry  its  age  back  to 
the  beginning  of  the  third  century.  Probably 
it  was  written  somewhat  later,  but  in  any  case  it 
is  the  most  ancient  and  the  most  correct  manu- 
script of  the  Septuagint  that  is  in  existence. 
This  precious  Codex,  as  is  well  known,  passed 
into  the  hands  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  who  bestowed 
it  upon  Sir  John  Fortescue,  her  tutor  in  Greek. 
From  him  it  went  to  Robert  Cotton,  and  then. 


HOW   IT  WAS  MADE  9 

passing  through  the  hands  of  the  Arundel 
family,  ultimately  found  a  home  in  the  Cottonian 
Library,  Westminster.  When  that  Library  was 
burned,  in  1731,  only  fragments  of  the  Codex 
were  saved,  the  chief  of  which  are  now  preserved 
in  the  British  Museum. 

The  Materials  of  which  this  Venetian  Bible, 
thus  inscribed  and  thus  illuminated,  is  composed, 
are  so  valuable,  that  if  they  were  destroyed,  it  would 
be  difficult,  perhaps  impossible,  to  replace  them. 
Its  leaves  are  of  marble — marble  paper,  some 
white,  but  most  of  it  coloured — brought  by  the 
Venetians  from  the  ruins  of  rich  Roman  cities, 
such  as  Aquileia  and  Grado  ;  and  from  cities 
conquered  and  sacked  by  them,  such  as  Con- 
stantinople— marbles  that  represent  in  their 
origin  the  wealth  of  every  quarry  known 
to  the  ancients.  There  are  Cipolin,  the 
first  marble  imported  into  Italy,  from  Negro- 
pont,  and  the  shores  of  the  Sea  of  Marmora; 
Proconnesian,  or  Nero  and  Bianco,  from 
an  island  in  that  sea  ;  Verde  Antique  from 
Thessaly  ;  Pomorolo  from  Dalmatia  ;  Red,  Green 
and  Serpentine  Porphyries ;  Red  and  Grey 
Lumachella  or  Shell  Marbles;  Synnadic  or  Pavo- 
nine (violet  coloured),  from  Sinnada  in  Phrygia ; 
Red  Syenite  Granite  from  Syene,  modern 
Assouan    in   Upper  Egypt,  on  the  Nile  (from 


10  THE   BIBLE   OF   ST.   MARK 

the  tower  of  Syene  even  unto  the  border  of 
Ethiopia,  Ezekiel  xxix.  lo)  ;  Alabaster  from 
Thebes  ;  Parian  marbles,  and  African  Breccias  ; 
Red  Verona  and  Yellow  Sienna  Brocatels  (because 
resembling  brocades) ;  Sardonic  Agate  and 
Oriental  Jaspers.  None  of  these  marbles  can  be 
called  common,  and  many  of  them  are  decidedly 
rare  and  precious,  the  more  so  that  the 
quarries  from  which  some  were  obtained  have 
been  for  centuries  either  exhausted  or  lost, 
although  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  those  in 
Thessaly,  that  yielded  the  Verde  Antique,  have 
been  recently  discovered  by  an  Englishman  at 
Casambula,  near  Larissa. 

I  need  not  say  that  the  Bible  of  which  I  am 
speaking  is  the  glorious  Church  of  St.  Mark. 
The  idea  of  constructing  such  a  church,  of  publish- 
ing such  a  Bible,  first  occurred  to  the  Venetians  in 
829,  when  the  body  of  the  Evangelist  St.  Mark 
was  brought  from  Alexandria  in  Egypt  to  their 
city.  The  then  reigning  Doge,  Giustiniano 
Partecipazio,  at  once  set  about  carrying  the  idea 
into  effect,  but  he  died  the  following  year. 
Still  his  share  in  the  work  was  important,  and 
not  unlike  that  of  King  David's  in  the  building 
of  the  Temple,  for  like  him  he  said  :  "  The 
house  that  is  to  be  builded  must  be  exceeding 
magnificent,  of  fame  and  of  glory  throughout 


Photo  by  C.  Anyc 


II -.H.  Ward  &■  Co. 


GOTHIC   LATERAL   DOOR   OF  ST.   ALIPIUS 


p.   lo 


HOW   IT  WAS  MADE  11 

all  countries,  I  will  therefore  now  make  provision 
for  it."  He  accordingly  secured  its  site. 
Between  his  palace  and  the  church  of  St.  Theo- 
dore to  the  north,  lay,  running  east  and  west,  a 
brolo  (orchard),  that  he  himself  had  given  to 
the  nuns  of  San  Zaccaria.  This  ground,  in 
which  was  a  well,  he  re-acquired  on  which  to 
build.  Then  "  he  prepared  abundantly  before 
his  death  "  materials,  we  may  suppose  some  of 
the  elm  and  oak  timbers  and  Istrian  stones, 
which  form  the  foundation  of  the  present 
church,  but  especially,  as  we  are  told,  marbles  in 
slabs  and  columns  from  Sicily,  for  the  support 
and  decoration  of  its  brick  walls  ;  and  leaving 
these  and  also  much  money,  to  his  brother  and 
successor  Giovanni,  charged  him,  as  David 
charged  Solomon,  to  hasten  the  work.  This 
behest  Giovanni  Partecipazio  carried  out  with 
promptitude  and  energy,  for,  beginning  the 
church  in  830,  he  finished  it  in  834.  This  is 
not  however  the  St.  Mark's  Bible  we  possess, 
although  it  is  bound  up  with  it,  and  may  be 
called  its  First  or  Ninth-century  Edition, 
In  form  it  was  a  basilica,  probably  resembling 
the  one  in  Alexandria  that  bore  the  Evangelist's 
name,  and  from  which  his  body  had  been 
brought.  It  was  the  size  of  the  nave  of  the 
present  church  as  far  as  the  altar-screen.     Under 


12  THE   BIBLE   OF   ST.   MARK 

the  twelve  large  marble  slabs  in  front  of  the 
screen,  which  formed  the  floor  of  the  peribolum 
of  the  basilica,  it  had  a  curious,  now  partly  sub- 
aqueous, crypt  (for  the  ground  is  gradually 
sinking),  only  re-opened  and  cleared  out  a 
few  years  ago,  in  which  can  be  seen  the  well 
spoken  of  above.  Besides  this  remnant  of  the 
old  church,  it  is  thought  the  present  one  contains 
parts  of  its  walls,  and  not  a  few  of  its  columns, 
capitals  and  cornices  —  according  to  the  late 
RafFaele  Cattaneo,  "  no  less  than  eighty  specimens, 
architectural  and  decorative."  Like  all  ancient 
bascilicas  it  had  a  roof  of  wood,  which  was 
destined  to  prove  fatal  to  it,  for  in  976,  when 
the  Venetians,  wishing  to  rid  themselves  of  the 
tyrant  Doge,  Pietro  Candiano  IV.,  shut  him  up 
in  his  palace  and  set  fire  to  it,  the  flames  com- 
municated themselves  to  this  roof  and  the 
church  was  burned.  It  had  stood  for  nearly 
a  hundred  and  fifty  years,  throughout  the 
reigns  of  eleven  doges,  each  of  whom  had  done 
something  for  its  embellishment. 

The  successor  of  the  "  tyrant "  Doge  was 
Pietro  Orseolo  I.,  the  "  saint,"  as  he  was  called, 
who  quickly  exchanged  the  council  chamber  for 
the  cloister,  but  not  before  he  had  given  us  the 
Second  or  Tenth-century  Edition  of  St. 
Mark's  Bible,  for  finding  the  walls  and  other 


HOW   IT  WAS   MADE  13 

structural  parts  of  the  church  but  slightly 
damaged,  the  brief  two  years  of  his  reign  (976- 
978)  sufficed  him  in  which  to  repair  it  ubi  corn- 
bus  ta  erat  (where  it  was  burned),  without,  how- 
ever, either  enlarging  or  altering  it  in  any  way. 
But  in  that  short  time  he  did  more,  for  we  read 
in  the  Dolfin  Chronicle,  Petrus  Ursiolo  adem 
Sancti  Marci  non  restaurat  solum^  vero  musaico 
ornat  proprio  sumptu  (Pietro  Orseolo  not  only 
restored  the  temple  of  St.  Mark,  but,  indeed, 
adorned  it  with  mosaic  at  his  own  expense). 
For  this  purpose  he  brought  Greek  artists  to 
Venice  from  Constantinople.  This  tenth- 
century  church,  or  second  edition  of  our  Bible, 
supplied  the  needs  of  the  Venetians  until  1063, 
a  period  of  eighty-five  years. 

But  now  in  this  eleventh  century,  to  which 
we  have  come,  we  find  that  Venice  had  attained 
to  a  state  of  great  power  and  prosperity.  Her 
exchequer  was  overflowing  with  money.  The 
spoils  of  victories,  won  in  the  Levant,  were  in 
her  store-houses.  Her  merchant  ships  brought 
her  riches  from  afar.  With  new  resources  came 
new  ideas.  The  possession  of  art  treasures 
created  and  fostered  art  tastes.  Especially  her 
intercourse  with  the  East  had  instilled  into  her 
a  love  of  Byzantine  architecture  and  ornamenta- 
tion.    Beholding  in  Constantinople  the  glories 


14  THE   BIBLE  OF  ST.   MARK 

of  St.  Sophia  and  other  churches,  she  could  not 
but  contrast  with  them  the  comparative  poverty 
in  size  and  form  and  decoration  of  her  own 
basilica.  She  at  last  therefore  resolved  to  re- 
construct it,  to  double  its  size,  to  change  its 
form,  and  to  beautify  and  embellish  it  in  a 
style  of  oriental  magnificence.  The  result  of 
this  decision  is  the  Third,  or  Eleventh- 
century  Edition  of  St.  Mark's  Bible,  which 
is  the  one  we  now  possess.  Taking  more 
especially  the  celebrated  church  of  the  Holy 
Apostles  in  Constantinople,  built  by  the 
Emperor  Constantine,  as  the  model,  the  work 
was  begun  under  Doge  Domenico  Contarini  in 
1063,  and  finished,  so  far  as  structural  altera- 
tions and  enlargements  were  concerned,  in 
1 07 1.  In  these  years  the  basilica  form  of 
St.  Mark's  was  changed  to  that  of  a  Greek 
cross.  This  was  exactly  that  kind  of  alteration 
that  did  not  necessitate  to  any  serious  extent 
the  destruction  of  the  old  building.  By  taking 
down  its  eastern  wall  and  adding  transepts  and 
a  chancel,  and  by  changing  the  pent  roof  into  a 
domed  one,  the  transformation  could  be  effected. 
And  this  it  appears  was  substantially  what  was  done. 
The  churches  of  the  ninth  and  tenth  centuries 
now  form  the  nave  of  the  present  eleventh- 
century  one.     Under  the  chancel  a  new  crypt 


HOW   IT   WAS  MADE  15 

was  made,  and  it  is  thought  that  the  series  of 
little  arches,  supported  on  flattened  columns, 
under  the  altar-screen,  and  the  two  series  of 
arches  and  columns  under  the  stair  of  the 
double  pulpit,  belonged  to  the  old  crypt.  The 
former  row  stands  on  the  wall  that  divides 
the  two  crypts,  and  were  originally  win- 
dows to  give  light  and  air  to  the  new  one. 
With  the  north  transept  extension  the  old 
church  of  St.  Theodore  was  incorporated,  part 
of  its  site  now  being  occupied  by  the  chapel  of 
St.  Isidore.  In  107 1,  Doge  Domenico  Con- 
tarini  died,  and  almost  the  first  public  services 
held  in  the  new  St.  Mark's  were  those  in  con- 
nection with  his  funeral,  and  with  the  installation 
into  office  of  his  successor,  Domenico  Selvo. 

But  the  church  was  still  undecorated. 
Its  walls  were  only  of  bare  brick — piere  cote. 
And  so  Doge  Domenico  Selvo  at  once  began 
incrusting  them  with  these  coloured  marbles, 
the  shades  and  hues  and  tints  of  which  have 
now  become  mellowed  with  age,  like  the 
pictures  of  the  old  masters.  In  doing  this 
blocks  of  the  precious  stone  were  sawn 
by  wires  into  thin  slabs,  which  were  then  so 
arranged  on  the  walls  that  their  lines  and  veins, 
and  "  flame-Hke  stainings,"  formed  figures  and 
patterns.     The  twelve  great   slabs    of  Cipolin 


16  THE    BIBLE   OF  ST.   MARK 

marble  that  cover  the  old  crypt  in  front  of  the 
chancel  were  similarly  cut  from  one  block. 
The  marble  veneering  of  the  walls,  and  the 
laying  down  of  the  tesselated  pavement  were 
finished  in  1096,  under  Doge  Selvo's  successor, 
Vital  Falier.  The  next  work  was  the  re- 
decoration  of  the  church  with  gold  and 
coloured  mosaics,  the  inscribing  anew,  on  its 
glowing  pages,  by  word  and  picture,  the  glorious 
truths  of  Scripture,  making  it  the  great 
illuminated  volume,  the  true  Biblia  Pauperum^ 
we  now  possess.  I  say  inscribing  this  anew, 
for  whatever  mosaic  illustration  Doge  Pietro 
Orseolo  had  put  upon  the  pages  of  the  former 
edition  of  our  Bible  appears  to  have  perished. 
This  work  was  begun  by  Doge  Vital  Michiel 
in  1 1 00,  and  was  continued  by  succeeding 
Doges  until  near  the  middle  of  the  fourteenth 
century.  That  is  to  say,  the  printing  and  illu- 
mination of  St.  Mark's  Bible,  as  we  now  know 
it,  was  the  labour  of  two  and  a  half  centuries. 

In  the  execution  of  this  work  Greek 
artists,  who  were  not  unknown  in  Venice, 
as  we  have  seen,  even  in  Doge  Orseolo's  time, 
were  largely  employed,  and  Greek  marbles  and 
Greek  tesseras  were  imported  in  great  quantities. 
This  Greek  influence  reached  its  climax  in 
1204,  when  Constantinople  fell  into  the  hands 


HOW  IT   WAS   MADE  17 

of  the  Venetians.  Then  there  was  a  great 
influx  of  Greek  artists  and  sculptors,  and  a 
wealth  of  Greek  decorative  material  of  all 
kinds  was  imported.  By-and-bye,  however,  the 
Venetians  learned  the  arts  of  the  Greeks. 
Furnaces  were  constructed  on  the  island  of 
Murano,  still  the  centre  of  their  glass  and 
mosaic  manufacture  ;  and  just  as  the  old  masters, 
Titian  and  Tintoretto,  for  example,  extracted 
their  own  dyes,  and  ground  their  own  colours, 
so  native  artists  made  their  own  gold  and 
coloured  tesserae,  and  carried  on  in  the  church 
the  work  of  mosaic  decoration  and  illustration. 

In  saying  that  this  Third  Edition  of  St.  Mark's 
Bible,  which,  begun  in  the  eleventh  century,  was 
issued  in  the  fourteenth,  is  the  one  that  has 
come  down  to  us,  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  it 
is  now  as  it  left  the  press.  It  has  been 
enriched,  and  it  has  been  impoverished.  Time, 
weather,  fire,  neglect,  ignorance  and  vandalism, 
have  left  their  marks  upon  it.  Its  pages,  too, 
have  been  defaced,  and  their  illustrations 
changed.  In  the  seventeenth  century  especially 
many  of  its  fine  old  Byzantine  illuminations,  true 
to  the  letter  and  to  the  spirit  of  the  text,  were 
cut  out,  and  Renaissance  ones,  false  to  both, 
were  put  in  their  stead.  But  still,  down  these 
long    centuries    no  possession  of  the  Venetian 

B 


18  THE    BIBLE   OF   ST.   MARK 

Republic  was  so  prized  and  so  guarded.  An 
order  of  men — the  noblest  and  best  of  the 
Venetian  nobility,  who  were  privileged  always 
to  wear  the  ducal  toga,  and  whose  office  was 
only  second  in  esteem  to  that  of  the  princedom, 
and  from  whose  ranks  the  Doges  were  almost 
invariably  chosen — the  famous  Procurators  of 
St.  Mark,  were  created  near  the  very  beginning 
of  the  church's  history,  in  the  time  of  Doge  Pietro 
Orseolo  I.,  to  take  charge  of  it.  These  men, 
acting  under  the  Doge,  regulated  all  its  affairs, 
material  and  spiritual.  They  not  only  looked 
after  its  erection,  its  preservation  and  restoration, 
its  income  and  expenditure,  its  altar  vessels  and 
treasury  relics,  but  appointed  and  invested,  and 
dismissed  and  punished  when  necessary,  its 
primicerio  or  dean,  its  canons,  priests,  organists, 
singers,  custodians  and  guardians,  and  regulated 
all  its  ceremonies  and  services.  No  Roman 
Curia,  no  Church  Court,  no  ecclesiastical  autho- 
rity, had  a  voice  in  anything  touching  its  interests. 
The  Doge  designated  himself,  Solus  Dominus 
Patronus  et  verus  Gubernator  Ecclesia  S.  Marciy 
(the  only  lord,  patron,  and  true  Governor  of 
St.  Mark's  Church)  ;  and  he  called  the  church, 
Cappella  nostra  libera  a  servitute  S.  Matris 
Ecclesia  (our  chapel,  free  from  the  servitude  of 
Holy  Mother  Church). 


HOW   IT   WAS   MADE  19 

Venice  had  also  its  Patriarch  or  Archbishop, 
and  its  cathedral,  but  these  were  so  utterly 
eclipsed  by,  and  subordinated  to,  the  Doge  and  his 
chapel,  that  they  were  originally  at  the  far-distant 
island-township  of  Grado  ;  and  when,  in  1445, 
they  were  brought  to  Venice,  they  were  placed 
in  the  unimportant  island  of  Castello,  where  the 
commonplace  church  of  San  Pietro  was  made 
the  cathedral.  It  was  not  till  ten  years  after 
the  fall  of  the  Republic,  in  1807,  that  Napoleon 
transferred  the  Patriarchate  to  St.  Mark's  Church 
which  thus  became  the  cathedral. 

The  rite  used  in  St.  Mark's  down  to  1807 
was  not  the  Roman  one,  nor  was  the  Bible 
the  Vulgate.  The  rite  was  the  ancient  one  of 
the  churches  said  to  have  been  founded  by 
St.  Mark,  and  his  companion  Hermagoras,  in 
Aquileia  and  Grado,  and  the  Bible  was  the  Old 
Italic  Version,  which,  as  I  have  said,  is  inscribed 
upon  its  walls.  In  the  State  Archives  in  Venice 
there  is  a  document  bearing  the  date.  May  14, 
1580,  which  tells  how  a  Primicerio,  who  had 
dared  to  appeal  to  Rome  about  St.  Mark's,  was 
summoned  to  appear  before  the  Doge  and 
Council  of  Ten.  He  was  not  allowed  to 
enter  the  Council  Chamber,  but  was  kept 
at  the  head  of  the  stairs,  where  the  Council 
intimated  to  him  by  a  messenger  that  he  had 


20  THE   BIBLE   OF   ST.  MARK 

oiFended  in  the  thing  most  sacred  in  its  eyes, 
namely  its  absolute  control  over  the  church 
of  St.  Mark,  and  that  his  conduct  savoured  of 
treason.  It  then  ordered  him  to  go  back  and 
bring  the  whole  of  his  correspondence  without 
retaining  even  a  copy  of  any  paper.  With  this, 
the  Council  said  it  would  rest  satisfied,  as  it 
believed  he  had  acted  more  from  ignorance 
than  malignity,  but  it  warned  him  as  to  the 
serious  consequences  that  would  follow  any 
repetition  of  the  offence.  Another  document 
tells  how  a  priest  was  banished  for  having 
incensed  the  Doge  and  the  Patriarch  at  the 
same  time,  instead  of  incensing  the  Doge  first. 
Thus  the  Doge  in  St.  Mark's  would  not  only 
brook  no  superior,  but  no  rival.  He  was  clothed 
with  all  spiritual  jurisdiction  and,  when  solemn 
occasions  required  it,  himself  blessed  the  people. 
Nor  was  this  all.  He  not  only  discharged 
spiritual  functions  as  High  Priest,  but  as 
the  Prince  of  the  land  he  imported  into  the 
church  his  civil  privileges  and  offices.  St. 
Mark's  was  more  than  a  place  for  the  carrying 
on  of  religious  services,  it  was  a  place  for  the 
conducting  of  state  business.  Popular  assemblies 
were  held  in  it.  Treaties  were  ratified  in  it. 
Decrees  were  promulgated  in  it.  An  ordinance 
abolishing  all  traffic   in  slaves  was  passed  and 


HOW   IT   WAS   MADE  21 

published  in  it,  in  959 — strange  to  say,  too,  under 
the  rule  of  the  tyrant  Doge,  Candiano  IV.,  in 
getting  rid  of  whom,  as  we  have  already  seen, 
St.  Mark's  was  accidentally  burned,  he  being 
slain  in  the  Church  itself.  In  it  the  Doges  received 
their  badges  of  authority  and  wands  of  office, 
and  were  acclaimed  by  the  people,  and  from  the 
bigonzOy  its  octagonal  porphyry  pulpit,  they 
harangued  the  electors.  From  it  they  proceeded 
annually  in  the  bucintoro  to  the  Lido  to  wed  the 
Adriatic,  by  dropping  into  it  the  mystic  ring 
with  the  words  Desponcemus  te  mare.  As  we 
read  in  Ezekiel  of  ancient  Tyre,  "  they  hanged 
their  shields  upon  thy  walls  round  about,  they 
have  made  thy  beauty  perfect,"  so  those  of  the 
Doges  after  death  were  suspended  in  St.  Mark's. 
From  its  central  vault  hung  the  banners  of 
allied  peoples,  and  on  its  roofs  floated  proudly 
those  of  the  Republic.  Along  its  aisles  and  in 
its  domes  resounded  the  pasans  of  victory. 
Scarcely  less  than  the  Ducal  Palace,  with  which 
it  communicated  by  a  bridge  behind  the  chancel, 
it  was  the  centre  of  political  life,  though  a  life 
free  from  the  intrigues  of  diplomacy  on  the  one 
hand,  and  from  those  of  priestcraft  on  the  other  ; 
and  as  the  Doge  was  elected  by  the  people, 
represented  the  people,  ruled  by  and  for  the 
people,  so  it  was  the  centre  of  the  nation's  life. 


22  THE   BIBLE   OF   ST.   MARK 

Here  the  civil  and  the  religious  spheres  not  only 
met  but  coalesced.  Here  there  was  not  simply 
union  of  Church  and  State,  there  was  identity. 
The  name  St.  Mark  was  synonymous  with  that 
of  the  Republic — the  symbol  at  once  of  a  free 
nation's  religious  faith,  and  of  its  political 
prestige  and  power.  To  a  very  large  extent,  it 
seems  to  me,  there  was  a  realisation  of  the  late 
Dr.  Arnold  of  Rugby's  ideal  commonwealth — 
one  in  which  Church  and  State  were  not  two 
separate  societies,  but  one  and  the  same  ;  free,  on 
the  one  hand,  from  what  Dean  Stanley  tells  us  he 
called,  "  the  secular  notion  of  a  state  as  providing 
only  for  physical  ends,"  and  free,  on  the  other 
hand,  from  "  the  superstitious  view  of  the  Church 
as  claiming  to  be  ruled  not  by  national  laws,  but 
by  a  divinely  appointed  succession  of  priests  or 
governors." 

In  these  things,  then,  in  St.  Mark's  being  at 
once  the  people's  Church  and  Senate-house,  their 
Bible  and  their  Charter,  we  have  the  explanation 
of  its  having  been  prized  by  the  Venetians  above 
all  else.  It  was  because  of  these  things  that  they 
gave  to  it,  for  its  construction,  enlargement, 
preservation  and  decoration,  throughout  long 
centuries,  the  best  of  their  thought,  the  best  of 
their  wealth,  the  best  of  their  labour.  And  for 
these  reasons  it  is  prized  to-day  by  the  Italian 


HOW  IT  WAS   MADE  23 

nation  as  one  of  their  most  precious  national 
monuments,  and  valued  inheritances,  bequeathed 
to  them  by  a  great  people.  And  for  these 
reasons  the  Government  of  Italy  has  become 
its  custodian,  watching  over  it  with  the  utmost 
solicitude,  keeping  architects  constantly  at  work 
upon  it,  maintaining  a  school  of  mosaic  workers 
inside  its  walls,  and  spending  in  its  preservation 
— apart  altogether  from  its  services — the  sum  of 
two  thousand  pounds  annually. 

But  it  is  not  only  as  a  monument  of  the  past, 
around  which  gather  the  glories  of  a  nation's 
history,  that  it  is  to  be  regarded.  It  has  a 
present  mission,  a  present  use.  If  it  no  longer 
serves  a  political  purpose,  it  still  serves  a  religious 
one.  This  half  of  its  mission  it  has  never 
ceased  to  fulfil,  and  it  is  fulfilling  it  to-day.  It 
is  still,  what  we  are  specially  regarding  it  as, 
the  Bible  of  St.  Mark.  And  as  such  it 
lasts  on  from  age  to  age,  its  pages — constructed 
of  materials  as  precious  and  beautiful  in  the 
world  of  matter  as  the  truths  inscribed  on  them 
are  in  the  world  of  spirit — open  to  all,  accessible 
to  all,  bearing  a  message  to  all,  in  a  language 
legible  to  all,  for  it  is  the  universal  language  of 
sign  and  symbol.  Witnessing  to  its  own 
marvellous  power  over  the  hearts  and  lives  of 
men,  it  exercises  that  power  still — unique  among 


24  THE   BIBLE   OF   ST.   MARK 

Bibles,  as  the  old  Republic,  of  which  it  was 
the  soul  and  centre,  was  unique  amongst  Com- 
monwealths ;  as  Venice,  of  which  it  is  to-day 
the  crown  and  glory,  is  unique  amongst  cities. 

I  purpose  reading  this  Venetian  Bible  under 
the  three  following  divisions,  which  correspond 
with  the  three  main  structural  parts  of  the 
church. 

I.  The  Title-Page,  as  inscribed  on  the 
Facade  ; 

II.  The  Old  Testament,  as  inscribed  in  the 
Atrium  ; 

III.  The  New  Testament  as  inscribed  in  the 
Interior. 

And  in  order  not  to  break  this  unity  of  plan, 
I  have  treated  of  the  mosaics  and  sculptures 
that  exist  elsewhere  in  the  building,  in  an 
Appendix,  references  to  which  will  be  found  in 
the  text. 


PART   I 
THE   TITLE-PAGE 

INSCRIBED  ON  THE 
FACADE 


PART  I:  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

The  facade  of  St.  Mark's  Church  Is  Byzantine 
in  character,  the  severity  of  which,  however,  is 
broken  by  rich  Gothic  decorations.  It  consists 
of  two  tiers  of  arches  grouped  and  harmonised. 
The  lower  tier  has  seven  spans,  the  mystic 
number  usually  employed  by  Byzantine  builders, 
and  the  upper  has  five.  The  central  arches  of 
each  tier  form  the  principal  ones,  to  which  the 
others,  inferior  to  them  in  height  and  width  and 
decoration,  are  subordinated.  The  outermost 
arches  in  the  lower  tier  are  open  porticoes,  the 
inner  five  are  built  out  so  as  to  form  deep 
vaults  or  porches,  the  bevelled  sides  of  which 
are  lined  with  verde-antique,  and  decorated  with 
double  rows  of  shafts  of  porphyry  and  other 
precious  marbles,  resting  on  stylobates  of  the 
same  materials. 

Through  these  porches,  by  one  great  central, 
and  four  small  lateral  gates,  the  church  is  entered. 
The  five  arches  of  the  upper  tier  are  decorated 
with  Gothic  crockets  and  finials,  canopies  and 


28  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

figures.  The  central  large  one  serves  as  a  great 
window,  the  others  have  smaller  lights  cut  in 
them.  Between  the  tiers,  along  the  top  of  the 
projecting  porches,  runs  a  gallery,  on  which 
stand,  above  the  principal  door,  and  in  front  of 
the  great  window,  the  four  famous  horses  of 
beaten  copper  work  overlaid  with  gold,  a  unique 
example  of  a  Greek  or  Roman  quadriga^  or  four- 
horsed  chariot.  The  whole  facade  is  covered 
with  sculptures  and  mosaics,  with  figures  and 
inscriptions. 

This,  then,  is  the  Title-page  we  have  to 
read,  and  a  very  full,  diversified,  and  beautiful 
one  it  is.  Before  we  do  so,  however,  I  must 
repeat  what  I  have  already  said,  that  it  is  not 
now  what  it  was  when  first  printed  in  this,  the 
eleventh-century,  or  third  edition,  of  our  Bible. 
Since  then  it  has  undergone  several  alterations — 
not  always  improvements — and  it  has  received 
several  additions.  Without  even  consulting 
documents,  a  good  general  notion  of  these  can 
be  obtained  by  examining  two  early  prints  of 
our  Title-page  that  have  been  preserved  to  us. 
One  is  in  mosaic  over  the  further  lateral  door 
to  the  left  of  the  main  entrance,  the  door  of 
St.  Alipius,  which  shows  it  as  it  existed  early  in 
the  thirteenth  century.  Looking  at  this  we 
see  that  there  were  no  mosaics  on  the  facade. 


ITS   DIVISIONS  29 

save  one  over  the  main  entrance  ;  it  had  no 
Gothic  ornamentation,  and  none  of  the  sculptured 
archivolts  over  the  main  door.  The  other 
ancient  copy  of  our  Title-page  is  a  picture  by- 
Bellini  in  the  Academy  in  Venice,  which  shows 
it  as  it  was  in  the  fifteenth  century.  In  it  we 
see  that  it  had  by  this  time  received  all  these  three 
additions  spoken  of  above,  the  Gothic  ornamen- 
tation, but  a  short  time  before.  Since  the 
fifteenth  century  it  has  undergone  little  altera- 
tion, excepting  one  for  the  worse,  namely,  the 
removal  of  all  the  mosaics  of  Bellini's  time, 
but  the  one  over  the  door  of  St.  Alipius,  and 
the  substitution  of  others  in  the  last  century 
and  in  the  present,  in  their  places.  Fortunately 
the  subjects  of  all  these  mosaics  have  remained 
the  same,  excepting  the  one  over  the  main  door, 
that  belonged  to  the  earliest  Title-page,  about 
which  I  shall  say  something  later. 

Proceeding  now   to  examine  our  Title-page 
we  find  that  it  brings  before  us  these  subjects. 

( 1 )  Him  of  whom  the  Book  speaks. 

(2)  Him  whose  name  it  bears. 

(3)  Those  who  made  it. 

In  other  words,  it  speaks  to  us  ; 
(i)  Of  Christ. 

(2)  Of  St.  Mark. 

(3)  Of  the  Venetians. 


CHAPTER   I 

WHAT   THE   TITLE-PAGE   SAYS 
OF   CHRIST 

Christ  holds  the  place  of  honour  on  the  title- 
page.  It  is  His  name,  the  name  that  is  above 
every  name,  that  is  inscribed  oftenest  and  in 
largest  letters  upon  it. 

(A)  He  is  the  Key-stone  of  every  arch  of 
every  door  by  which  the  church  is  entered. 

(B)  He  is  the  subject  of  all  the  Bas-reliefs 
above  these  door-ways. 

(C)  He  is  the  subject  of  all  the  Mosaics  of  the 
upper  tier  of  arches. 

(D)  He  is  the  subject  of  all  the  Sculptures  that 
decorate  the  arches. 

(A)  Christ  is  the  Key-stone  of  every 
Arch  of  every  Door  by  which  the 
Church  is  entered. 

I  have  said  that  the  church  is  entered  by  one 
great  central,  and  four  more  small  lateral  door- 


WHAT    IT   SAYS   OF   CHRIST         31 

ways.  But  these  five  doors  are  one,  and  that 
one  Is  Christ,  for  he  commands  them  all.  He 
is  carved  on  the  key-stone  of  every  one  of  them. 
The  church  cannot  be  entered  but  by  Him.  It 
stands  or  falls  with  Him.  In  other  churches, 
whilst  Christ  may  rule  over  the  main  door,  very 
often  Mary  is  set  over  a  transept  one,  whilst  other 
side  doors  are  assigned  to  saints  and  martyrs. 
And  Mr.  Ruskin  thinks  that  this  may  be  done  to 
teach  that,  whilst  access  to  God  is  obtained 
through  Christ,  it  is  also,  though  in  a  lesser 
degree,  secured  through  the  mediation  of  His 
mother  and  of  the  saints.  Then,  if  this  be  so,  the 
exclusion  from  St.  Mark's  portals  of  every  one 
save  Jesus  only,  is  meant  to  teach  that  solely 
through  Him  can  God  be  approached.  One  name 
is  there,  not  only  above  every  name  that  is  named, 
but  alone  in  solitary  majesty,  the  name  of  the 
God-man  Christ  Jesus. 

{a)  The  Great  Central  Doorway. — 
This  doorway  has  three  carved  archivolts,  and  all 
three  speak  of  Christ.  Tho,  first  brings  him  before 
us  as  our  Redeemer  and  Restorer,  the  second  as 
our  Creator  and  Teacher,  and  the  third  as  our 
Saviour  and  Master. 

The  First  Archivolt. — Here  Christ  is  repre- 
sented as  our  Redeemer  and  Restorer,  its 
subject  being  Ruin  by  the  Fall  and  Redemption 


32  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

by  Him.  This  is  set  before  us  by  a  series 
of  pictures  in  bas-relief,  illustrative  of  the 
effects  of  sin  and  redemption.  Looking  at 
the  Under  side,  or  Soffit,  of  ihe  archivoU,  we  see 
on  its  basement  stones,  fallen  human  life  typified, 
on  that  on  the  left,  by  a  half-naked  woman  with 
long  unkempt  hair,  and  on  that  on  the  right, 
by  a  half-naked  man,  both  sitting  on  dragons, 
that,  twining  round  them,  and  fastening  on  the 
breast  of  one  and  the  mouth  of  the  other,  hold 
them  in  their  power.  Immediately  above  the 
man  is  a  lion  devouring  a  deer,  and  above  the 
woman  there  is  also  a  lion,  but,  suggesting  times 
of  civilisation  and  redemption,  a  child  sits  on 
it  opening  its  jaws.  This  is  sometimes  used  as 
the  symbol  of  fortitude,  ''  The  Lord  breaks  the 
teeth  of  the  lion."  "  Thou  shalt  tread  upon 
the  lion  and  adder,  the  young  lion  and  the 
dragon  shalt  thou  trample  under  foot."  The 
rest  of  the  soffit  shows  wild  and  tame  animals 
m  various  combinations,  especially  the  Byzantine 
one  of  a  bird  pecking  a  quadruped,  symbolical 
of  spirit  dominating  matter,  whilst  intertwined 
with  all,  and,  on  the  key-stone,  bursting  into 
fulness  of  fruitage,  is  the  vine,  the  symbol  of 
Christ.  Looking  now  at  the  Outer  Face  of  the 
archivolt,  on  the  left  basement  stone,  there  is 
again  the  same  figure  of  the  wild  half-naked 


Photo  by  C.  Naya 


GREAT  CENTRAL  DOORWAY 


WHAT   IT   SAYS   OF  CHRIST         33 

woman,  only  she  is  now  seated  on  the  back  of 
a  Hon.  On  the  corresponding  stone  on  the 
other  side,  there  is,  however,  no  savage  man,  but 
a  youth,  intelligent  looking  and  well  clothed, 
and  with  shoes  on  his  feet,  sitting  calmly  on  the 
back  of  the  patient  ox.  Above  the  woman 
there  are  boys  quarrelling  and  fighting,  and 
above  the  ox  and  its  rider  are  a  teacher  and 
a  scholar — the  teacher  with  a  roll  in  his  hand, 
and  the  scholar  doing  a  sum  in  arithmetic,  by  the 
aid  of  his  fingers.  Higher  up  on  the  left,  are 
boys  robbing  nests,  young  men  shooting  birds 
with  bows  and  arrows,  and,  lastly,  men  hunting 
the  wild  boar  and  the  lion.  Opposite  these,  in 
corresponding  places  on  the  right,  a  youth  is 
leaving  home,  to  pursue  elsewhere  an  agricul- 
tural life,  then  come  men  engaged  in  business, 
buying  and  selling,  and  lastly,  higher  up,  others 
are  occupied  in  commerce,  carrying  and  transport- 
ing goods.  Clearly  the  two  sides  contrast.  Set 
over  against  each  other,  there  is,  on  the  left 
savage  and  uneducated  life,  and  on  the  right 
life  civilised  and  redeemed.  The  whole  archi- 
volt,  thus,  as  I  have  said,  teaches  us  the  far 
reaching  consequences  of  sin  on  the  one  hand, 
and  the  co-extensive  saving  influences  of  Christ, 
as  our  Redeemer  and  Restorer,  on  the  other. 
If  "  the  whole  creation  groaneth  and  travaileth 


34  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

in  pain  together  until  now,"  the  whole  creation 
shall  participate  in  the  redemptive  work  of 
Christ,  in  that  "  restitution  of  all  things,  which 
God  hath  spoken  by  the  mouth  of  all  his  holy- 
prophets  since  the  world  began."  As  here 
portrayed,  it  is  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  that 
makes  the  savage  clothe  himself,  and  abandon 
the  bow  and  arrow,  the  rod,  the  spear,  and 
the  chase,  for  the  plough  and  the  sickle,  for 
manufacture  and  commerce.  It  is  the  Gospel 
of  Christ  that  creates  the  schoolmaster  and  the 
missionary,  and  that  sends  the  youth  from  the 
paternal  home  to  occupy  the  earth  and  to 
subdue  it.  Sin  has  brought  dispeace  and  dis- 
union, separation  and  conflict,  into  the  world  of 
man  and  the  world  of  nature  ;  Christ  restores 
order  and  unity,  binds  up  the  scattered,  and 
unites  the  severed,  reconciles  man  to  God,  and 
nature  to  man  its  rightful  head,  undoes  the 
work  of  the  fall,  and  "  makes  all  things  new." 

The  Second  Archivolt. — This  archivolt  carries 
us  forward  in  thought,  showing  us  Christ  on  its 
soffit  as  our  Creator,  and  on  its  outer  side  as  our 
Teacher.  First  He  is  represented  as  our  Creator, 
as  if  to  suggest  the  thought  that  He  could 
restore  and  redeem,  because  He  created  all 
things,  and  by  Him  all  things  consist.  It  is 
His  figure  then  that  is  cut  in  bold  relief  in  the 


WHAT    IT   SAYS   OF    CHRIST  35 

key-stone.     It  Is  a  youthful   figure,  for  as  yet 
He   Is   untouched  by  suffering.     There    Is  no 
marring  of  His  visage,  although,  as  He  Is  the 
Iamb   "  foreordained   before    the  foundation  of 
the  world,"  as  He  Is  the  "lamb  slain  from  the 
foundation  of  the    world,"   on  the  nimbus  of 
sanctity  and  authority  behind  His  head  appears 
the  shadow  of  the  cross.     In  His  left  hand  He 
holds  a  scroll,  and  His  right  Is  raised  In  the  act 
of  blessing.     He  stands  in  a  disc  studded  with 
stars — "  the  stars  that  He  calleth  all  by  name." 
On  His  right  hand  Is  the  head  of  a  man,  and 
on  His  left  that   of  a  woman,   both    bending 
towards  Him,  with  hands  raised  in  the  attitude 
of  prayer,  representing  "  the  sun  and  the  moon 
which  He  hath  made."     And  then,  suggestive 
of  the  mission  of  these    heavenly  bodies,  "  to 
give   light   upon   the   earth,"  and    to  be   "for 
signs  and  for  seasons  and  for  days  and  years," 
there  are  carved  on  the  other  stones  of  the  soffit, 
six  on  either   side  of  the  key-stone,  symbolic 
representations  of  the  months  of  the  year,  with 
their  zodiacal  signs,  which,  however,  fall  to  be 
dealt  with  later  on. 

We,  therefore,  now  proceed  to  read  the  Outer 
or  External  face  of  the  archivolt,  where  Christ 
Is  exhibited  as  our  Teacher.  From  here  He 
delivers  to  His  disciples,  and  to  the  multitude 


36  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

below,  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  and  as  this 
archivolt,  with  its  series  of  outside  steps,  is 
somewhat  suggestive  of  a  mount,  the  represen- 
tation is  complete,  although,  as  can  be  seen  in 
Bellini's  picture,  it  was  at  one  time  more  visible 
and  striking.  A  series  of  allegorical  figures 
represent  the  Beatitudes  and  Virtues,  each  bear- 
ing a  scroll,  on  which  is  inscribed  an  appro- 
priate saying  of  our  Lord's,  Once  this  sermon 
appealed  to  the  eye  with  a  vividness  and  a 
distinctness  that  it  has  now  lost,  for  when 
first  inscribed,  at  the  close  of  the  thirteenth,  or 
the  beginning  of  the  fourteenth  century,  the 
figures  and  the  writing  shone  out  in  gold  on  a 
background  of  blue.  The  word  of  the  Lord 
was  literally  esteemed  more  precious  than  gold. 
Time  has  removed  the  colouring,  and  but  little 
of  the  gold  lettering  remains,  but  the  figures, 
for  the  most  part,  explain  themselves,  and, 
when  they  do  not,  they  can  be  read  by  the  help 
of  this  same  sermon  which  is  re-delivered  in 
mosaic  in  the  Ascension  cupola  inside  the 
church  itself.  The  central  figure  on  the  key- 
stone is  Constantia  (Steadfastness).  With  ex- 
tended arms  she  holds  upright  in  her  hands  two 
discs,  or  medalUons,  in  one  of  which,  that  to 
the  right,  is  a  figure  representing  the  sun,  and  in 
the  other,  to  the  left,  one  representing  the  moon 


o 
> 

<  § 

Q  O 

o  B 

U  c 

[tI  (U 

g  I 


WHAT   IT   SAYS   OF   CHRIST         37 

— steadfastness  to  be  maintained  as  long  as  the 
sun  and  moon  endureth.  No  text  is  legible, 
but  on  the  corresponding  figure  in  the  Ascen- 
sion cupola  there  are  these  two,  "  Blessed  are  they 
which  are  persecuted  for  righteousness'  sake " 
(Matt.  V.  lo),  and  "  He  who  shall  endure  unto 
the  end  shall  be  saved"  (Matt.  xxiv.  13),  this 
latter  being  from  another  sermon  on  the  mount, 
the  Mount  of  Olives,  which  our  Lord  delivered 
towards  the  close  of  His  ministry.  Thus 
steadfastness  is  made  to  embrace  the  whole 
Christian  life — its  necessity  enforced  at  the 
beginning  and  close  of  our  Lord's  public  life. 
If  the  figure  in  the  disc  here  is,  as  it  is  in  the 
corresponding  disc  of  the  cupola,  the  figure  of 
Christ,  then  this  outer  face  of  the  key-stone,  like 
its  under  part,  sets  forth  Christ's  person  as  well 
as  His  words. 

I  shall  do  little  more  now  than  explain 
what  the  other  allegorical  figures  are,  leaving 
their  fuller  significance  to  be  given  when  we 
again  read  the  sermon  as  more  fully  recorded  in 
the  New  Testament  portion  of  our  Bible. 
There  are  eight  figures  on  either  side  of  the 
key-stone,  running  down  the  archivolt  to  its 
base,  thus  making  seventeen  in  all,  one  more 
than  in  the  cupola.  The  first  four  on  either 
side  are  reclining,  and  around  them  wreathes  the 


38  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

Vine,  the  symbol  of  Christ,  and  of  those  united 
to  Him  by  faith.     The  remaining  figures  are 
upright.     Those  on  the  right  side  of  the  key- 
stone, that   is,  on   the  onlooker's  left,  are,  as 
they  recede  from  Constantia^ 
Humilitas  (Humility).     The  word  Beati  legible, 
suggests  the  first  beatitude  our  Lord  spoke, 
which   is    on   the    scroll    of    this    virtue 
inside  the  Church,  "Blessed  are  the  poor 
in   spirit,  for   theirs   is   the    kingdom    of 
heaven  "  (Matt.  v.  3). 
Castitas  (Chastity).     The  text  legible,  "  Blessed 
are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall   see 
God  "  (Matt.  V.  8). 
Patientia  (Patience).     The  text  legible,  "  Blessed 
are    the   peacemakers,    for    they    shall    be 
called  the  children  of  God  "  (Matt.  v.  9). 
Compulsio  (Compunction).     Upright  figure,  its 
left    hand    on    heart,    text    supplied    from 
cupola,  "  Blessed  are  they  that  mourn,  for 
they  shall  be  comforted  "  (Matt.  v.  4). 
Abstinentia  (Abstinence).    Upright  figure,  right 
hand  holds  apples  or  bread,  and  left  a  vase 
of  water.     On  its  scroll  the  word  satura- 
huntur  gives  the  key  to  the  text,  "  Blessed 
are  they  that  do  hunger  and  thirst  after 
righteousness,    for    they   shall    be   filled " 
(Matt.  v.  6). 


WHAT  IT  SAYS  OF   CHRIST         39 

Modestia  (Moderation).  There  is  no  word  on 
scroll  to  explain  the  figure,  but  its  attitude 
erect,  with  the  palm  of  the  hand  turned 
outward,  resembles  that  of  this  virtue  in 
the  cupola.  There  the  text  is,  "  Blessed 
are  ye  when  men  shall  hate  you  "  (Luke 
vi.  22),  the  word  Modestia  being  used  in 
its  original  sense  of  moderation  or  self- 
restraint. 

Karitas  (Love).  "  The  love  of  the  Lord  endures 
for  ever  "  ;  not  an  exact  biblical  quotation. 

Spes    (Hope).     Hands   raised    in    hopefulness ; 
text,  "  Hope  in  God,  all  ye  congregation 
.  .   .  God  is  our  helper"  (Ps.  Ixii.  8). 
The  figures  on  the  other  side  of  the   key- 
stone (spectator's  right  hand)  are,  in  receding 

order  from  Constantia, 

(  Unknown).  Not  a  letter  of  the  text  is  left,  and 
there  is  no  means  of  identifying  this  virtue. 

Misericordia  (Mercy).  On  the  scroll  can  be 
deciphered  part  of  the  text,  "  Blessed  are 
the  merciful,  for  they  shall  obtain  mercy  " 
(Matt.  V.  7). 

Benignitas  (Benignity).  This  is  uncertain,  but 
the  figure  is  like  that  of  this  virtue  in  the 
cupola,  where  its  text  is,  "  Blessed  are  the 
meek,  for  they  shall  inherit  the  earth " 
(Matt.  V.  5). 


40  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

Prudentia  (Understanding).     Holding  a  serpent 
in  each  hand.     The  text  on  the  scroll  of 
this    virtue    in     cupola    is,     "  By    under- 
standing   He    established     the    heavens" 
(Prov.  iii.  19). 
Temperantia  (Temperance).     Pouring  water  from 
a  vase  into  a  bowl.     The  writing  on  scroll 
is  illegible,  and  in  the  cupola  this  figure  is 
without  a  text. 
Fides  (Faith).     Figure   with  a  sort   of  crown, 
and  a  lily  behind  her.     Texts,  "  The  just 
shall  live  by  faith"   (Rom.    i.    17),   "But 
faith  without  works  is  dead"  (J as.  ii.  17). 
Justitia  (Justice).     Figure  holds  up  a  pair  of 
balances.     Text,  "  The  Lord  is  righteous 
and  loveth  righteousness  "  (Ps.  xi.  7). 
Fortitudo    (Fortitude).     Tearing  open  a  lion's 
jaws,  with  the  text  "  The  Lord  breaks  the 
great  teeth  of  the  lions"  (Ps.  Iviii.  6). 
Before    passing    to   the   uppermost   archivolt 
that  carries  us  onward  in  Christ's  life  and  work, 
showing  Him  as  the  suffering  Saviour,  and  as 
our  Lord  and  Master,  let  me  draw  attention  to 
the  mosaic  in  the  apse  or  semi-dome^  below  it. 
It  represents  the  Last  Judgment,  the  introduc- 
tion   of  which    breaks    the    harmony    of    the 
teaching  of  this  part  of  our  Title-page,  besides 
which,  the  conception  of  the  subject  is  utterly 


<  -^ 

— .  o 

H  ^ 

Z  " 

<  ^ 

O 

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WHAT   IT   SAYS   OF    CHRIST         41 

unscriptural,  and  the  workmanship  is  of  a 
poor  order.  There  are  figures  of  our  Lord 
with  Mary  and  John  the  Baptist,  in  the  centre, 
a  crowd  of  cherubs  float  over  and  around 
them,  while  before  them  is  a  paltry  represen- 
tation, on  the  right  hand,  of  those  who  love  His 
appearing,  and,  on  the  left,  of  those  who  are 
afraid  to  meet  Him.  This  is  the  most  modern 
of  the  modern  mosaics  to  which  I  referred  on 
page  29,  as  displacing  beautiful  ancient  ones. 
It  was  made  in  1836-38,  from  cartoons  of  the 
painter  Lattanzia  Querena,  by  Laborio  Salandri, 
a  mosaic  worker  who  had  been  punished  pre- 
viously for  bad  workmanship.  It  displaced 
one  on  the  same  subject  by  Pietro  Spagna,  made 
in  1683-85.  This  again  displaced  the  one, 
also  of  the  Last  Judgment,  shown  in  Bellini's 
picture  of  our  Title-page,  made  previous  to 
1496,  which  superseded  the  original  one — the 
only  one  in  harmony  with  the  subjects  of  the 
sculptures,  and  perfectly  adapted  to  this  place 
on  our  page.  As  shown  in  the  mosaic  over  St. 
Alipius's  door,  it  was  a  beautiful  Byzantine  con- 
ception of  our  Lord  as  the  Teacher.  His  half 
figure  filled  the  whole  apse.  In  His  left  hand 
He  held  the  written  word.  His  right  was  raised 
in  the  act  of  teaching,  and  blessing  as  He  taught, 
whilst  behind   His  head  was  a  nimbus  with  the 


42  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

shadow  of  the  cross  on  it,  on  either  side  of 
which  was  inscribed,  in  bold  characters.  His 
monogram,  ^c  x'x:.  Originally,  then,  this  part 
of  our  Title-page  showed  the  Teacher  and 
Lesson,  the  Preacher  and  the  Sermon. 

'The  Uppermost  Archivolt. — Li  this  Christ  is 
represented,  as  I  have  said,  as  the  Suffering 
Saviour,  and  as  our  Lord  and  Master.  On  the 
underside  of  the  key-stone  we  see  Him  in  the 
former  aspect,  symbolised  as  a  Lamb,  a  Lamb 
that  had  been  slain,  for  the  cross  is  twice  re- 
peated ;  but  yet  as  a  Lamb  in  the  midst  of  a 
throne,  living  and  reigning,  for  the  starry  firma- 
ment is  its  canopy,  a  nimbus  of  glory  is  behind 
its  head,  and  ministering  angels  stand  around. 
On  either  side  of  the  key-stone,  covering  the 
whole  soffit  of  the  archivolt,  are  representations 
of  the  trades  of  Venice.  These  we  shall  read 
in  detail  when  considering,  by-and-bye,  what 
our  Title-page  has  to  tell  us  of  the  Venetians. 
But  now  we  have  to  deal  with  the  lessons 
which  their  positions,  grouped  around  the 
suffering  Saviour — He  in  their  midst  on  the 
key-stone — is  meant  to  teach  us.  Clearly  one 
lesson  is  that  in  His  humility  He  identified 
Himself  with  manual  labour,  not  only  learning 
a  trade,  but  working  at  it,  for,  as  St.  Mark  tells 
us  (ch.  vi.  3),  He  was  known  as  the  carpenter. 


BYZANTINE   LATERAL   DOORWAY 
(Rij;ht  of  Main  Entrance) 


WHAT   IT   SAYS   OF   CHRIST         43 

And  another  lesson  Is,  that  Christ  has  not  with- 
drawn Himself  from  the  world,  but  is  present 
to  hallow  all  work  and  all  workers,  so  that 
monotony  of  labour  need  not  become  monotony 
of  life.  Raising  now  our  eyes  from  the  under- 
side to  the  outer,  or  external  face  of  this  archi- 
volt,  we  again  see  Jesus  Christ  carved  upon  the 
key-stone  ;  and,  in  harmony  with  the  idea  of 
mastership  we  have  just  expressed,  He  is  no 
longer  the  Lamb,  but  the  Master,  for  His 
whole  aspect  betokens  authority  and  power,  as, 
with  His  right  hand  raised.  He  commands  and 
He  blesses,  whilst  from  a  wealth  of  sculptured 
foliage,  which,  Mr.  Ruskin  says,  "  is  of  rarest 
chiselling;  nothing  like  it  in  Europe  of  this  (four- 
teenth century)  date,"  Old  Testament  prophets 
on  His  right  hand  and  on  His  left,  direct,  by 
their  gaze,  our  attention  to  Him,  and,  by  the 
scrolls  which  they  hold  in  their  hands,  bear  wit- 
ness to  Him,  as  David's  son,  and  David's  Lord. 
{b)  The  Lateral  Doorway. — Of  the  four 
lateral  doorways,  the  two  inner  ones,  that  is,  the 
two  immediately  to  the  right  and  left  of  the 
central  doorway,  correspond  architecturally,  and 
the  two  outer  ones  do  the  same.  The  former 
have  Byzantine,  and  the  latter  Gothic  arches. 
We  shall  begin  with  the  Byzantine,  and  with 
the  one  to  the  right  of  the  main  entrance,  or  to 


44  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

the  onlooker's  left.  On  its  key-stone  is  carved 
Jesus  Christ.  His  left  hand  holds  a  book,  and 
his  right  is  raised  in  the  attitude  of  blessing. 
Behind  His  head  is  a  disc  with  the  cross 
upon  it,  and  below  it  is  cut,  in  Greek  letters, 
His  monogram,  i^  X-C  On  either  side,  in 
the  spandrils  of  the  arch,  are  prophets  with 
scrolls.  Turning  now  to  the  other  Byzantine 
arch  we  see  that,  though  the  carving  on  its 
key-stone  is  somewhat  defaced,  it  clearly  repre- 
sents Jesus  Christ.  Here,  too.  He  has  the  disc 
with  the  shadow  of  the  cross  on  it  behind  His 
head,  His  left  hand  holds  a  book,  and  His  right 
hand  is  raised  in  the  attitude  of  blessing.  On 
the  spandrils  are  archangels  with  the  letters 
S.M.  ar.  and  S.G.  ar.,  namely,  St.  Michael  and 
St.  Gabriel.  St.  Michael  is  set  at  Christ's  right 
hand,  because  he  is  spoken  of  in  Daniel  as  one 
of  the  chief  princes,  and  because  Jewish  tradi- 
tion assigns  to  him  the  leadership  of  the  angels 
who  stand  on  the  right  of  the  throne.  St. 
Gabriel  who  announced  Christ's  birth  both  to 
Daniel  and  to  Mary,  is  set  at  His  left  hand, 
according  to  the  same  Jewish  tradition  that 
makes  him  leader  of  the  angels  that  stand  on 
the  left  of  the  throne. 

Turning   now  to  the  two  outermost  Gothic 
arches,  we  shall  look  first  at  the  one  to  the  right 


Photo  by  C.  Xaya 


II'.  H.  llardO-  Co. 


BYZANTIXE    LATERAL   DOORWAY 
(Left  of  Main  Entrance) 


WHAT   IT  SAYS   OF   CHRIST         45 

of  the  main  entrance,  that  is  to  the  onlooker's 
left  hand,  and  here  again  the  lintel  of  the 
door,  and  its  tympanum,  as  well  as  the  arch 
itself,  all  witness  to  Jesus  Christ.  On  the  lintel 
are  sculptured  the  Announcement  of  His  birth 
to  the  shepherds,  the  Adoration  of  the  Magi, 
who  present  gifts,  and  His  first  miracle  at  the 
marriage  in  Cana  of  Galilee.  In  the  tympanum 
there  are  the  four  creatures  that  symbolically 
stand  for  the  four  evangelists,  each  holding  its 
book  with  a  text,  namely,  the  Ox  of  St.  Matthew, 
the  Lion  of  St.  Mark,  the  Man  of  St.  Luke, 
and  the  Eagle  of  St.  John — all  these  sculptures 
are  thirteenth-century  work.  Looking  next  at 
the  companion  Gothic  door  (now  turned  into 
a  window),  at  the  extreme  left  of  the  main 
entrance,  we  find  that  here,  too,  the  lintel  as 
well  as  the  arch  speaks  of  Christ.  On  the  centre 
of  the  lintel  His  figure  is  carved  in  a  medallion, 
with  His  monogram,  i-C  X^  ;  and  on  the 
key-stone  of  the  arch  above  He  is  carved  a 
second  time,  and  appears  as  the  child  Jesus  in 
His  mother's  arms. 

Thus  we  see  how  the  figure  of  Christ  is 
carved  three  times  over  the  central  door,  twice 
over  the  last-mentioned  lateral  one,  and  once 
over  the  other  three  ;  how  He  is  the  key-stone 
of  every  arch  of  every  door  of  the  building  ; 


46  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

how  the  church  cannot  be  entered  except  by 
Him,  who  is  here,  always,  and  in  all  places, 
emphatically  and  conspicuously,  the  Door. 

(B)  The  Six  Bas-Reliefs  between 
these  Doorways  speak  of  Christ. — 
These  six  bas-reliefs  of  Greek  marble,  set  in  the 
spandrels  of  the  porches  of  the  doorways,  are 
conspicuous  objects  on  our  Title-page,  and 
they,  too,  testify  of  Christ. 

The  two  outermost  represent  four  of  the 
labours  of  Hercules.  In  the  one,  to  the  on- 
looker's left  hand,  he  is  wearing  the  skin  of  the 
Nemean  lion  which  he  has  strangled,  and  has 
the  wild  Erymanthean  boar  on  his  shoulder, 
which  he  has  captured  and  brought  to  Eurys- 
theus,  king  of  Mycenae,  who  looks  up  at  him 
beseechingly,  from  the  tub-like  hiding-place 
within  which  he  crouches  from  fear.  In  the 
other,  to  the  right,  he  similarly  bears  on  his 
shoulder  the  Arcadian  stag,  with  its  golden 
antlers  and  brazen  feet,  which  he  wounded  and 
caught  after  a  year's  chase,  whilst  he  tramples 
underfoot  the  nine-headed  Lernean  Hydra. 
These  two  sculptures  are  of  different  epochs  and 
of  unequal  merit.  The  first  is  excellent  Roman 
workmanship  of  the  third  century,  and  the  latter 
inferior  Venetian  of,  it  is  supposed,  the  thirteenth. 
The  presence  of  these  pagan  sculptures  on  our 


WHAT   IT   SAYS   OF   CHRIST         47 

Title-page  looks  at  first  sight  incongruous,  but  it 
is  not  so.  They  teach  the  same  lesson  as  that 
taught  by  the  figures  on  the  first  archivolt  of 
the  great  central  door ;  namely,  the  world's 
need  of  Jesus  Christ.  Hercules,  tempted  to 
choose  a  life  of  ease  and  self-indulgence,  denied 
himself,  and  chose  one  of  toil  and  suffering  for 
the  good  of  others.  His  life,  however,  had  no 
regenerating  influence.  His  labours  have  some- 
time been  compared,  as  by  St.  Augustine  in  his 
De  Civitate  Dei,  to  those  of  Samson,  but  they 
represent  little  more  than  the  brute  force  in  man 
and  nature,  or,  to  use  an  expression  of  Mr. 
Ruskin's,  "  the  war  of  the  world  before  Christ 
came." 

In  beautiful  sequence,  then,  to  the  teaching  of 
these  pagan  bas-reliefs,  comes  that  of  the  next 
two  on  our  Title-page,  namely  those  between  the 
porches  of  the  lateral  doorways,  for  they  portray 
the  coming  of  Christ,  to  make  to  cease  this 
"  war  of  the  world."  The  one  is  a  bas-relief 
of  Mary,  supposed  to  be  of  the  eleventh  century, 
and  the  other  is  of  the  angel  Gabriel,  probably 
of  a  century  earlier.  Mary  stands  with  her 
hands  raised  in  the  Byzantine  attitude  of  prayer, 
and  above  her  head  is  written  M^p  9Y,  and 
thus  she  is  invariably  represented — always  asking 
blessing,  never  bestowing  it,  and  her  monogram 


48  THE  TITLE-PAGE 

was  always  written  as  it  is  here.  That  is  to  say 
whilst  the  Greek  my  and  rho  are  always  united, 
the  theta  and  ypsilon  never  are.  Whilst,  then, 
the  first  word  is,  of  course,  /nvrrip,  the  second 
is  not,  I  believe,  OfoO,  and  the  translation  is  not 
that  commonly  given,  "  Mother  of  God,"  The 
9,  and  Y,  stand  for  Qeov  Ylov,  and  therefore  the 
translation  is  "  Mother  of  the  Divine  Son."  It 
is  so  read  and  translated  in  the  Greek  Church 
to  this  day  ;  and  the  Nestorians,  the  disciples 
of  St.  Thomas  in  Chaldea,  India,  and  China, 
deny  to  Mary  the  title  "  Mother  of  God  "  and 
call  her  the  "  Mother  of  the  man  Christ  Jesus." 
Above  the  head  of  Gabriel  are  the  words 
Angelus  Gabriel^  and  he  bears  in  one  hand  a 
long  staff  with  a  trefoiled  head,  and  in  the  other 
a  ball  with  a  cross  upon  it,  the  emblems  of 
authority,  the  latter  still,  as  we  know,  the 
emblem  of  sovereignty. 

The  two  innermost  bas-reliefs,  one  on  either 
side  of  the  main  entrance,  are,  as  the  names 
inscribed  on  them  tell  us,  of  St.  George  and 
St.  Demetrius.  They  are  of  thirteenth-century 
workmanship.  Both  saints  are  depicted  as  clothed 
in  armour,  seated,  and  in  the  act  of  sheathing 
their  swords.  They  are  two  Greek  warriors, 
armed  knights  of  the  cross,  conquered  by  Christ, 
and  conquering  for  Him. 


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WHAT   IT  SAYS   OF   CHRIST         49 

(C)  Christ  is  the  Subject  of  all  the 
Mosaics  of  the  Upper  Tier  of  Arches. 

(a)  The  Mosaics  under  the  four  Gothic 
Arches  of  this  Tier  speak  of  Him. — Reading 
them  from  left  to  right,  they  represent  the 
following  scenes — the  Deposition  from  the 
Cross,  Christ  in  Hades,  the  Resurrection,  and 
the  Ascension.  As,  however,  they  are  com- 
paratively modern,  forming  part  of  those  that 
displaced  the  Byzantine  ones  shown  in  Bellini's 
picture,  and  as  we  shall  meet  with  ancient  ones 
inside  the  church,  treating  the  same  subjects 
with  fuller  and  truer  significance,  I  shall  des- 
cribe these  here  but  briefly. 

'I'he  Deposition. — In  this  we  see  the  Apostle 
John  on  the  ladder  that  rests  against  the  Cross, 
tenderly  lowering  the  body  of  Christ  into  the 
arms  of  three  aged  men,  probably  two  Apostles 
and  Joseph  of  Arimathasa.  Mary,  and  Mary 
the  wife  of  Cleophas,  stand  beside  the  Cross, 
and  the  Magdalene,  with  a  wealth  of  yellow 
hair,  appears  behind.  Around  the  arch  are 
inscribed  the  words  in  Leonine  rhyme  : 

De  cruce  descendo^  sepeliri  cum  necetendo^ 
Qu^e  mia  sit  vita,  jam  surgam  morte  relita. 

Christ  in  Hades. — Our  Lord  is  shown  in 
the  act  of  delivering    souls    from    the   prison- 

D 


50  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

house  of  Hades.  Holding  in  one  hand  the 
banner  of  the  Cross,  with  the  other  He  is 
helping  a  captive,  apparently  Abraham,  out  of 
the  dark  nether-vault.  Adam  and  Eve  with 
their  fig-leaf  aprons,  and  Moses  with  the  tables 
of  the  law,  are  standing  free  and  happy,  having 
been  the  first  rescued.  The  inscription  of  this 
mosaic  is  : 

Visitat  infernum^  regnum  'pro  dando  supernum^ 
Patribus  aniiquis,  dimissus  Cristus  iniquis, 
Quis  fr actio  portis^  spoliat  me  campis  fortis  ! 

"The  Resurrection. — This  mosaic  shows  Christ 
bursting  the  fetters  of  the  tomb,  and  "many 
bodies  of  the  saints  which  slept  "  coming  up  out  of 
their  graves.  Some  soldiers  of  the  Roman  Guard 
are  asleep  ;  others,  rudely  awakened,  are  rushing 
off  in  terror.  Our  Lord  bears  in  His  hand  a 
white  banner,  in  the  centre  of  which  is  the 
Lion  of  St.  Mark  with  the  gospel  in  its  paw. 
This  banner  with  its  device  recalls  a  tradition 
recorded  by  Stringer.  In  the  old  mosaic  the 
banner  bore  a  red  cross,  and  during  a  war 
between  Venice  and  Genoa,  as  the  Genoese 
Ambassador  was  passing  to  the  Ducal  Palace  he 
observed  to  Orsato  Giustiniani,  a  patrician  in 
whose  company  he  was,  that  the  Redeemer's 
banner  was  of  good  omen  to  Genoa  as  it  bore 


WHAT   IT   SAYS   OF   CHRIST         51 

its  arms — a  red  cross  on  a  white  ground.  The 
patrician  said  nothing,  but,  quitting  him  at  the 
palace,  sent  instantly  for  workmen,  and  had  the 
red  cross  obliterated,  and  the  Lion  put  in  its 
place.  When  the  Ambassador  again  passed 
through  the  Piazza  from  the  palace  his  attention 
was  drawn  to  the  mosaic,  when  utterly  amazed 
he  saw  that  Christ  had  changed  His  banner 
for  one  of  good  omen  for  the  Venetians.  The 
inscription  is  : 

Crimina  qui  purgo,  tridus  de  morte  resurgo, 
Et  mecum  multi^  dudum  rediere  sepulti^ 
En  verus  fortis^  qui  /regit  vincula  mortis. 

The  Ascension. — The  conception  of  all  the 
subjects  is  poor,  and  this  one  extremely  so. 
Christ  is  being  parted  from  His  disciples  and 
Mary,  who  stand  gazing  at  His  vanishing  form. 
The  inscription  is  : 

Sum  victor  mortis,  regno  super  athera  fortis, 
Plausibus  angelicis,  laudibus  et  melicis. 

These  mosaics  are  by  Luigi  Gaetano,  who 
worked  in  St.  Mark's  during  the  first  half  of 
the  seventeenth  century.  They  were  executed 
in  1 6 1 7- 1 6 1 8 ,  from  cartoons  prepared  by  MafFeo 
Verona  ;  but  as  pieces  of  stone  were  used  in 
their   construction  instead   of  glass,  they  soon 


52  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

began  to  crumble  away,    and    in    recent    times 
(1861)  all  were  renewed. 

Between  the  arches  over  these  mosaics,  rise 
four  tabernacles,  whilst  two  others  close  them 
in,  one  on  either  side.  On  the  bases  of  these 
latter  are  four  other  mosaics  which  also 
WITNESS  to  Christ.  On  that  to  the  left 
of  the  onlooker  are  those  of  St.  Peter  and 
St.  Paul,  the  Apostle  to  the  Jews  and  the 
Apostle  to  the  Gentiles,  and  the  common 
founders  of  a  Church  which  is  Catholic,  which 
knows  no  distinction  and  no  preference,  but 
only  a  universal  brotherhood  of  all  mankind 
in  Christ  ;  on  that  to  the  right  are  those 
of  St.  Nicholas,  who  "  sold  his  possessions 
and  gave  to  the  poor,"  and  of  St.  Christopher, 
who,  illustrating  the  principle  that  man  will 
worship  the  noblest  he  can  find,  at  last  had 
his  desire  met  in  the  service  of  Jesus,  whom 
he  is  here  represented  bearing  as  a  child  on  his 
shoulder  across  the  swollen  torrent.  Christ  is 
thus  here  borne  witness  to  by  clergy  and  laity, 
by  preaching  and  teaching,  by  almsgiving  and 
work.  The  mosaic  of  St.  Christopher  was  made 
in  1678,  and  the  others  in  this  century,  St.  Nic- 
holas having  been  put  up  in  18 15,  and  St.  Peter 
and  St.  Paul  in  1894,  replacing  mosaics  of  these 
Apostles  that  had  been  destroyed  about  1626. 


Photo  by  t.  A'aya 


II'.  H.  Hardin  Co. 


PATRIARCHS   OX   GREAT  ARCHIVOLT 
of  Central  Window 


Photo  by  C,  Nay  a 


1 1'.  H.  llardO-  Co. 


EVANGELISTS   ON   GREAT  ARCHIVOLT 
of  Central  Window 


WHAT   IT  SAYS   OF   CHRIST         53 

(D)  Christ  is  the  Subject  of  all  the 
Sculptures  of  the  Upper  Tier  of  Arches. 

— (a)  Looking  first  at  the   great   archi- 

VOLT  OF  THE  CENTRAL  WINDOW  it    IS  SCCn  tO  be 

richly  sculptured,  both  on  its  outer  face  and  its 
soffit.  On  the  former,  interspersed  with  the 
figures  of  the  patriarchs  and  the  early  prophets,  are 
scenes  from  the  book  of  Genesis — the  Creation  of 
Adam,  the  Fall  of  Man,  the  Death  of  Abel,  Noah 
quitting  the  Ark,  and  lastly,  the  Sacrifice  of 
Abraham,  thus  carrying  our  thoughts  onward  to 
Him  who  came  to  offer  himself  a  sacrifice  for  sin, 
and  who  is  the  second  Adam,  the  Lord  from 
heaven.  On  the  latter  side,  the  under,  there  are 
eight  figures  set  in  niches,  four  on  the  left  half  of 
the  arch,  and  four  on  the  right.  The  former  are 
the  patriarchs,  Araham,  Isaac,  Jacob  and  Noah  ; 
the  others  are  the  evangelists,  Mark,  John, 
Matthew  and  Luke,  each  without  his  symbol, 
but  with  his  gospel  in  his  hand.  We  thus  have 
the  witness  of  both  the  Old  and  the  New 
Testaments  to  Jesus  Christ. 

(b)  Looking  now  at  the  six  tabernacles  to 
which  I  have  referred,  that  rise  from  between 
the  arches,  and  that  flank  them  on  either  side, 
we  see  that  each  contains  a  figure,  and  all  these 
six  witness  to  Christ.  The  two  under  the 
outermost    tabernacles,    the    oldest,    set    up    in 


54  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

1385,  are  those  of  Gabriel  and  of  Mary 
kneeling,  thus  bringing  before  us  the  Annuncia- 
tion. The  four  figures  under  the  inner  taber- 
nacles are  the  Evangelists  with  their  sacred 
symbols  and  books.  Reading  from  left  to  right 
they  occur  in  this  order  :  St.  Luke,  St.  Mark, 
St.  John  and  St.  Matthew.  These  figures  thus 
bring  before  us  Christ's  incarnation  and  His 
earthly  life  in  its  fourfold  aspect,  as  set  before 
us  in  the  gospels.  It  will  be  noticed  that  each 
Evangelist  rests  his  book  on  the  head  of  his 
respective  symbol,  Matthew's  on  the  Ox,  Mark's 
on  the  Lion,  Luke's  on  the  Man,  and  John's 
on  the  Eagle.  They  thus  remind  us  of  the 
"  leading  ideas  "  of  the  several  gospels  :  Suffer- 
ing, Strength,  Sympathy,  and  Sublimity  ;  that 
St.  Matthew  wrote  of  Christ  as  the  Messiah 
of  Old  Testament  type  and  prophecy,  who  came 
to  labour  and  to  suffer  for  mankind  ;  that 
St.  Mark  saw  Him  as  the  "  strong  man  armed," 
who  came  to  spoil  the  house  of  our  oppressors,  as 
the  "  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  ;  "  that  St.  Luke 
describes  Him  as  "  the  son  of  man,"  full  of 
human  sympathy,  who  had  "  compassion  on  the 
multitude,"  and  who  "  healed  all  their  diseases  ;  " 
and  that  St.  John  shows  Him  as  "the  son  of 
God/'  who  reveals  to  us  the  Father,  and  who 
makes  us  to  see  the  invisible  and  the  eternal, 


Photo  by  C.  Nay  a 


II :  H.  Ifardi:-'  Co. 


TABERNACLE   OF  ST.    LUKE 


P-  54 


Photo  by  C,  Xaja 


ir.  H.  Ward  &■  Co 


TABERNACLE   OF   ST.    MARK 


WHAT   IT   SAYS   OF   CHRIST         55 

(c)  The    twenty-four    figures    of    the 

GOTHIC     ornamentation     OF      THE      LATERAL 

ARCHES,  four  enclosed  in  the  ogees,  four  standing 
on  the  finials  of  these  arches,  and  the  others 
amongst  their  rich  foliage,  all  witness  to 
Christ.  Those  in  the  ogees  do  so  by  the  words 
of  the  Book  of  the  Testimony  which  they  hold 
in  their  hands,  whilst  those  on  the  finials  are 
warrior  saints,  clad  in  armour,  who  have  sealed 
their  testimony  with  their  blood.  The  whole 
number  reminds  us  of  the  four  and  twenty 
elders  who  worship  Him  that  liveth  for  ever 
and  ever,  who  is  set,  as  we  shall  see,  high  over 
them.  This  part  of  our  Title-page  was  partly 
obliterated  in  the  early  years  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  and  was  then  reprinted.  in  other 
words,  the  Gothic  ornamentation  was  severely 
damaged  by  an  earthquake  in  1511,  the  figures 
on  the  finials  having  been  thrown  to  the  ground, 
and  thus  much  of  the  sculpture  only  dates  from 
that  epoch. 

(d)  Lastly,  as  we  look  upward  to  the  apex  of 
the  great  central  arch,  we  see  angels 
ascending  amongst  its  Gothic  ornamentation — 
those  highest  with  censers  and  offerings  in  their 
hands  gazing  adoringly  upward,  those  lower, 
with  their  arms  folded  and  their  bodies  bent 
in  worship — who  direct  our  eye  to  Him  who 


56  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

stands  on  the  topmost  pinnacle  of  the  arch,  on 
the  very  apex  of  the  facade,  alone  in  solitary 
majesty,  a  disc  of  glory  round  His  head,  His 
right  hand  raised  in  the  act  of  blessing,  and  in 
His  left  hand  an  open  Bible,  with  the  message 
of  salvation  gleaming  in  letters  of  gold  on  its 
page — Him  of  whom  our  Title-page  primarily 
and  emphatically  speaks,  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  It  is  regrettable  that  in  renewing 
these  statues,  after  the  earthquake  above  men- 
tioned, to  this  statue  of  Christ  was  given 
something  of  the  appearance  of  St.  Mark. 

Before  quitting  this  part  of  our  subject,  let  us 
pass  the  eye  up  and  down  the  centre  of  our 
Title-page,  and  notice  the  gradation  observed  in 
the  presentation  of  the  character  and  work  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  how  these  are  exhibited 
as  a  continuous  whole,  of  which  the  parts  rise 
one  above  another,  step  by  step.  As  Christ  is 
revealed  in  the  pages  of  the  Bible  itself,  so  is 
He  revealed  here.  First,  on  the  lowest  archi- 
volt,  there  is  an  epitome  of  the  world  wrecked 
and  ruined  by  sin,  but  destined  to  be  renovated 
and  restored  by  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  revealed  to 
us,  in  the  next  archivolt  above,  as  our  Creator 
and  our  Teacher,  on  the  one  above  that  again 
as  our  Saviour  and  Master,  and  lastly,  who 
Stands  on  the  topmost   pinnacle  of  all,  as  the 


Photo  by  C.  A'aj'rt 


IV.H.  Harder  Co. 


TABERXACLE  OF  ST.   JOHN 


P-  56 


Photo  by  C.  Naya  "'■  "■  "'"'"'  ^-^  Co. 

TABERNACLE   OF  ST.    MAITHEW 


p.  56a 


WHAT   IT   SAYS   OF   CHRIST         57 

Lord  of  Glory,  King  of  Kings,  and  Lord  of 
Lords,  receiving  the  united  adoration  of  angels 
and  archangels,  patriarchs,  prophets,  evangelists, 
and  elders,  who  cast  their  crowns  before  the 
throne  saying,  "  Thou  art  worthy,  O  Lord,  to 
receive  glory,  and  honour,  and  power,  for  thou 
hast  created  all  things,  and  for  thy  pleasure 
they  are  and  were  created." 


CHAPTER   II 

WHAT    THE   TITLE-PAGE    SAYS 
OF   ST.    MARK 

Of  the  Evangelist  to  whom  our  Bible  is  dedi- 
cated, the  Title-page  has  much  less  to  say  than 
of  the  Master,  but  still  it  tells  us  not  a  little. 
It  speaks  of  him  (A)  in  the  gilded  figure  of  the 
Lion  with  the  Bible  in  its  paw,  set  under  the 
feet  of  Christ  against  a  blue  star-spangled  back- 
ground, in  the  ogee  above  the  great  central 
window ;  and  it  speaks  of  him  (B)  in  the 
mosaics  of  the  lower  tier  of  arches. 

(A)  The  Lion  speaks  of  St.  Mark.— 
The  symbol  of  the  Lion,  used  by  Ezekiel  in  the 
first  chapter  of  his  book  of  prophecies,  and 
again  by  St.  John  in  the  fourth  chapter  of  the 
Apocalypse,  when  describing  the  four  living 
creatures  before  the  throne,  has,  since  the 
earliest  Christian  time,  been  associated  with  the 
Evangelist    St.    Mark.      Some  have    expressed 


Photo  by  C.  jXaya 


ir.  H.  Ward  &■  Co. 


THE   LION   OF  ST.    MARK 


WHAT   IT   SAYS   OF   ST.   MARK      59 

surprise  that  this  should  be  so.  Mr.  Ruskin,  in 
his  "  Stones  of  Venice,"  speaking  of  St.  Mark's 
journey  with  St.  Barnabas,  says,  "  If  .  .  .  .  the 
spirit  of  prophecy  had  entered  into  the  heart  of 
the  weak  disciple  who  had  turned  back  when 
his  hand  was  on  the  plough,  and  who  had  been 
judged  by  the  chiefest  of  Christ's  captains  un- 
worthy thenceforward  to  go  forth  with  him  to 
the  work,  how  wonderful  would  he  have  thought 
it  that,  by  the  Lion  symbol,  in  future  ages  he 
was  to  be  represented  among  men."  But  the 
anomaly  disappears  when  it  is  considered  that 
the  symbol,  primarily,  does  not  represent  the 
Evangelist,  but  the  view  he  exhibits  of  Jesus 
Christ  in  his  gospel.  It  is  not,  in  the  first 
place,  St.  Mark  who  is  the  Lion,  but  it 
is  Christ  as  seen  and  exhibited  by  him.  An 
examination  of  St.  Mark's  gospel  shows  this. 
In  it  he  sets  forth  Christ's  life  in  deeds,  not 
in  discourses,  in  works,  not  in  words.  Pass- 
ing over  the  genealogy  and  infancy,  he  begins 
by  recording  the  public  life  of  our  Lord.  And 
in  his  record  he  tells  us  little  of  what  He 
said,  but  much  of  what  He  did.  Omitting  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount,  and  all  the  parables  but 
four,  he  relates  all  the  miracles  the  other  Evan- 
gelists relate,  filling  them  out  with  fresh  particu- 
lars of  his  own,  and  he  adds  two  miracles  not 


60  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

recorded  by  them.  He  thus  represents  Christ  as 
the  "  strong  man  armed,"  "  the  Lion  of  the  tribe 
of  Judah."  In  a  secondary  sense,  however,  the 
Lion  symbol  has  reference  to  the  Evangelist,  and 
not  inaptly  when  we  consider  that,  though  he 
failed  at  first  with  St.  Paul,  he  afterwards  re- 
gained that  apostle's  confidence,  for  he  was  with 
him  at  Colosse  (Col.  iv.  lo),  and  writing  to 
Timothy  (2  Tim.  iv,  11)  from  Rome,  St.  Paul 
says,  "  Take  Mark,  and  bring  him  with  thee,  for 
he  is  profitable  to  me  for  the  ministry."  Again, 
he  afterwards  attached  himself  to  St.  Peter, 
becoming  his  secretary,  or  amanuensis,  and 
travelling  with  him  to  Babylon  and  to  Egypt,  and, 
as  we  shall  see,  visiting  even  these  Venetian  shores 
on  his  missionary  journeys,  enduring  hardships 
and  encountering  dangers.  St.  Peter  calls  him 
"  my  son,"  and  some  have  thought  that  this 
expresses  a  natural  as  well  as  a  spiritual  relation- 
ship, because  in  love  of  the  present,  in  a  practical 
way  of  looking  at  things,  in  a  warmth  of 
nature,  and  in  zeal  and  a  somewhat  presump- 
tuous courage,  which  sometimes  led  to  con- 
spicuous failure,  they  had  much  in  common. 
Then  St.  Mark  was  the  very  first  to  write  the 
life  of  our  Lord.  Although  it  is  not  all  likely 
that  he  ever  saw  Jesus — indeed  John  the  Elder, 
who  lived  in  the  apostolic  age,  is  reported,  on 


WHAT   IT  SAYS   OF   ST.   MARK      61 

the  testimony  of  Papias,  to  have  said,  "  He 
neither  heard  the  Lord  nor  followed  Him  " —  he 
yet  was  the  very  first  to  write  our  Saviour's  life. 
His  gospel,  founded  on  St.  Peter's  oral  teaching 
and  preaching,  is  considered  to  be  the  earliest 
we  possess,  both  as  to  contents  and  composition, 
having  been  written  after  the  deaths  of  St.  Peter 
and  St.  Paul,  but  before  St.  Matthew  or  St. 
Luke  had  put  pen  to  paper.  For  all  these 
reasons  St.  Mark  may  well  be  represented  by 
the  symbol  of  the  Lion.  At  the  same  time  it 
was  probably  not  till  the  thirteenth  century 
that  his  symbol  was  used  by  the  Venetians  on 
their  banners,  and  not  till  the  beginning  of  the 
fourteenth  that  it  appeared  on  their  coins.  Pre- 
vious to  these  dates,  he  was  always  represented 
standing,  holding  in  his  right  hand  his  labarum, 
and  in  his  left  his  gospel.  The  present  Lion  of 
St.  Mark  was  only  put  up  in  1826,  the  ancient 
one  having  been  destroyed  at  the  fall  of  the 
Republic  in  1797. 

On  the  pages  of  the  Gospel  in  the  paw  or 
the  Lion  are  the  words.  Pax  tibi  Marce 
Evangelista  Metis  (Peace  to  thee,  O  Mark,  my 
Evangelist),  which  salutation  tells  us  of  an 
interesting  traditional  incident  in  the  life  of  the 
Evangelist,  which  linked  him  prophetically  with 
Venice.     The    story    is    that    St.   Mark,  whilst 


62  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

evangelising  in  Egypt  as  the  companion  and 
amanuensis  of  St.  Peter,  was  sent  by  the  Apostle 
on  a  missionary  journey  round  the  eastern  and 
northern  coasts  of  the  Adriatic.  The  Evange- 
list, accompanied  by  his  friend  and  companion 
St.  Hermagorus,  reached  Aquileia,  then  a 
flourishing  maritime  city  and  a  favourite 
residence  of  the  Roman  emperors,  where  he 
must  have  spent  some  time,  for  there  are  to 
this  day  many  traditions  regarding  him,  one  of 
which  is  that  it  was  at  the  request  of  the 
Aquileians  that  he  compiled  his  gospel.  On 
leaving  Roma  Secunda^  as  Aquileia  was  then 
called,  the  ship  that  carried  the  Evangelist 
was  caught  in  a  storm,  and  driven  westward 
and  southward  amongst  the  islands  of  the 
lagoons,  where  it  ran  aground  on  the  one  on 
which  now  stands  the  church  of  San  Francesco 
della  Vigna  (St.  Francis  of  the  Vineyard),  which 
would  be  one  of  the  first  reached  coming  from 
the  north-east.  There,  as  he  lay  in  the  boat 
asleep,  waiting  for  the  rising  tide  to  float  it  off^, 
he  received  a  vision.  An  angel  appeared  and 
addressed  to  him  the  salutation  that  appears  on 
the  open  pages  of  the  book,  "  Peace  to  thee,  O 
Mark,  my  Evangelist,"  adding,  "  A  great  city 
will  arise  here  to  thy  honour."  Four  centuries 
passed,    and    the    prophecy    received    a    partial 


WHAT   IT   SAYS   OF   ST.   MARK       63 

fulfilment,  when  the  Goths  and  Vandals,  and 
finally  the  Huns,  under  Attila,  by  burning 
Aquileia,  Altinum,  Concordia,  Padua,  and 
other  mainland  towns,  forced  their  inhabitants 
to  fly  for  dear  life  to  the  lagoon  islands,  where, 
building  for  themselves  new  homes,  they 
founded  the  great  city  of  Venice.  Another 
four  centuries  passed,  and  then  the  prophecy 
received  a  complete  fulfilment  in  the  dedication 
of  the  city  to  St.  Mark.  How  that  came 
about,  and  many  other  things  regarding  the 
Evangelist,  we  learn  from  the  mosaics  of  the 
lower  tier  of  arches. 

(B)  The  Mosaics  of  the  Lower  Tier 
of  Arches  speak  of  St.  Mark. — These 
mosaics  are  eight  in  number.  Three  are  in 
each  of  the  two  porches  to  the  right  of  the  main 
entrance  (from  the  onlooker's  point  of  view), 
and  are  supposed  to  have  been  executed  in  the 
latter  half  of  the  seventeenth  century.  The 
remaining  two  are  in  the  porches  to  the  left,  of 
which  one  was  made  in  the  beginning  of  the 
eighteenth,  and  the  other  above  the  door  of  St. 
Alipius  in  the  early  thirteenth  century,  which 
.forms  a  part  of  our  earliest  Title-page.  The 
subject  of  these  mosaics  is  the  bringing  of  the 
body  of  St.  Mark  to  Venice,  the  setting  him 
over  the  city  in  the  place  of  St.  Theodore,  and 


64  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

the  construction  and  dedication  to  him  of  our 
Bible.  The  story  runs  round  the  porches  from 
right  to  left. 

The  first  mosaic,  in  tht  farthest  off  porch  to 
the  rights  opens  the  story  by  taking  us  to  the 
Port  of  Alexandria,  in  the  year  829,  and  show- 
ing us  two  good  Venetian  sea-captains,  Buono  of 
Malamocco  and  Rustico  of  Torcello,  with 
very  furtive  looks,  bearing  away  a  dead  body 
out  of  its  sarcophagus.  It  is  that  of  the 
Evangelist  St.  Mark,  who  is  believed  to  have 
been  the  first  Bishop  of  Alexandria,  and  there  to 
have  died  a  martyr's  death.  These  Venetians, 
finding  that  the  Mohammedans  were  destroy- 
ing the  Christian  church  where  St.  Mark  was 
buried,  to  carry  off  its  columns  and  marbles  to 
build  their  own  mosques,  and,  remembering  the 
prophecy  about  his  future  connection  with  their 
city,  conceived  the  idea  of  possessing  themselves 
of  his  body,  and  bearing  it  off  to  Venice.  By 
the  help  of  Theodorus,  a  priest,  and  Stauracius, 
a  monk,  the  custodian  of  the  church,  they  were 
enabled  to  begin  their  enterprise,  as  seen  in  this 
mosaic.  There  is  some  reason  for  thinking 
that  the  then  reigning  Doge,  Giustiniano 
Partecipazio,  was  a  party  to  the  undertaking, 
because  the  monk  Stauracius  came  to  Venice 
with  the  sea-captains,  and  was  received  by  him, 


WHAT   IT  SAYS   OF   ST.   MARK       65 

and  afterwards  was  made  primicerio  of  St. 
Mark's  church.  The  chief  difficulty  Buono 
and  Rustico  had  to  face  was  the  getting  of  their 
prize  through  the  customs  without  detection, 
and  the  next  mosaic  shows  how  they  accom- 
plished it.  A  Venetian  is  holding  open  the  lid 
of  a  large  basket,  and  a  turbaned  Mohammedan, 
who  holds  his  nostrils,  is  looking  at  the  contents, 
whilst  another  turns  away  in  an  attitude  of 
disgust  and  contempt.  The  basket  is  heaped 
up  with  swine's  flesh,  but  securely  stowed  away 
beneath  it  is  St.  Mark's  body.  In  the  third 
mosaic  the  mariners  have  the  body  safely 
on  board  their  good  ship,  and,  wrapped  in 
a  sail,  it  is  being  hoisted  to  the  masthead  for 
greater  security.  The  inscription  printed  under 
these  mosaics,  although  no  longer  legible,  was 
the  following  : 

Tollitur  ex  arca^ 
Furtim  Marcni  Patriarca, 
^uem  sporio  ponunt^ 
Games  caulesque  reponunty 
Canzir  dicentes^ 
Marcum  vitant  referenteSy 
In  barcam  corpus^ 
Mittunt  ex  rupe  deorsum. 

Passing  to  the  next  porch ^  that  immediately  to 

E 


66  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

the  righl  of  the  main  entrance^  we  see  in  its 
first  mosaic  the  Venetian  sailors,  now  that  they 
are  well  out  at  sea,  lowering  St.  Mark's  body- 
on  to  the  deck,  that  their  ship  may  speed  on 
its  way  homeward  under  full  press  of  sail. 
In  the  second  mosaic  of  this  porch  the  ship  is 
nearing  Venice,  and  the  Patriarch  and  clergy 
and  a  crowd  of  people  are  going  down  to  the 
shore  to  meet  it.  In  the  third  mosaic  men  are 
carrying  the  body  of  the  Evangelist  on  their 
shoulders  up  the  steps  of  the  quay.  The  legend 
inscribed  on  this  porch  was  as  follows  : 

De  scapha  sportam  tollunt^ 
Velisque  reponunt^ 
Presbyter  has  turbas 
Verens  non  Ipadit  ad  urnas 
Clam  monacus  Marcvm  sequitur, 
Quern  thure  recondunt^ 
Tellus  adest  naute^ 
Die  velum  ponite  caute. 

The  mosaic  which  covers  three  sides  of  the 
third  porch^  that  immediately  to  the  left  of  the 
main  entrance^  a  splendid  work  by  Dal  Pozzo, 
sets  before  us  the  state  reception  of  St.  Mark's 
body,  and  his  installation  as  patron  of  the  city. 
In  the  central  part  the  body  of  the  Evangelist  is 
lying  in   state,   draped  with  a  blue  pall,  while 


WHAT   IT  SAYS   OF   ST.   MARK      67 

the  Doge,  Giustiniano  Partecipazio,  and  the 
Senators  of  the  Republic  stand  around  it  ;  in 
that  to  the  right  are  attendants,  with  banners 
and  emblems  of  state,  and  in  that  to  the  left  is 
the  public,  looking  on  with  joyful  interest. 
The  prophecy  made  to  the  shipwrecked  Evan- 
gelist had  now  received  a  complete  fulfilment, 
for  not  only  had  a  great  city  arisen,  but  it  had 
arisen  to  his  honour.  Thenceforth  the  name 
St.  Mark  was  almost  synonymous  with  that  of 
the  Republic.  The  following  inscription  was 
written  round  the  porch,  and  one-half  of  it  is 
still  legible  : 

Corpore  suscep^o, 
Gaudent  modulamine  recto^ 
Currentes  latum, 
Venerantur  honore  locatum, 
Et  T)ucis,  et  cleri, 
Topuli  processio  meri 
Ad  theatrum  cantuque 
Plausuque  ferunt  sibi  sanctum. 

In  the  mosaic  of  the  fourth  porch  over  the 
door  of  St.  Alipius,  the  body  of  St.  Mark  is 
being  carried  into  the  church  that  has  been  built 
expressly  to  receive  it.  The  occasion  is  one  of 
supreme  importance  to  Venice,  and  she  is 
observing   it  with  a  glad,  though  solemn  and 


68  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

imposing,  ceremonial.  All  the  nobility  of  the 
city  are  gathered  in  the  seven-fold  porches  of 
the  building,  as  a  guard  of  honour  to  escort  the 
Evangelist's  body  to  its  resting-place  in  the 
crypt  within.  The  coffin,  open  and  with  the 
pall  thrown  back,  so  as  to  show  St.  Mark's 
head,  is  being  borne  in  procession  across  the 
threshold  of  the  main  portal  of  the  church,  on 
the  shoulders  of  distinguished  citizens.  Two 
bishops,  with  their  croziers,  stand  beside  it, 
whilst  immediately  behind,  heading  the  pro- 
cession, is  the  Doge  in  his  rich  robe,  followed 
by  senators  and  officials  in  authority.  To  the 
left  are  groups  of  ladies,  wearing  crowns,  and 
clothed  in  blue  and  green  dresses  covered  with 
golden  stars.  Around  the  arch  of  the  porch 
are  inscribed  the  words  : 

Collocat  hunc  dignis  plebs  laudibus  et  colit 

hymnis^ 
Ut  Venetos  semper  servet  ab  hoste  suos. 

The  Body  of  St.  Mark  has  had,  I  may  here 
say,  five  resting-places  in  Venice,  one  in  the  Ducal 
Palace,  and  four  inside  the  church.  It  was 
deposited  in  the  palace  when  first  brought  from 
Alexandria,  and  there  it  remained  three  years,  till 
the  church  was  ready  to  receive  it.  The  place  of 
its  custody  is  said  to  have  been  a  tower  in  the 


<       5 


O  •  o 

Q  o 

<  a 

<  ? 


I  i 


WHAT   IT   SAYS   OF   ST.   MARK      69 

north-west  angle  of  the  building,  part  of  which 
is  still  standing,  having  been  utilised  for  the 
south  and  west  walls  of  the  Treasury.  No 
doubt,  as  has  been  suggested  by  Raffaele  Cattaneo, 
this  was  done  to  preserve  a  building  associated 
with  the  Evangelist.  The  second  resting-place 
was  the  crypt  of  the  church  newly  erected  by 
Partecipazio  —  the  First  or  Ninth-century 
Edition  of  our  Bible.  There  it  remained  a 
hundred  and  forty-four  years,  till  the  church 
was  partly  destroyed  in  the  burning  of  the 
Ducal  Palace  in  976.  When  describing  the 
basilica  (see  page  12),  I  said  that  this  ancient 
crypt  had  been  recently  re-opened  and  cleared 
out.  This  took  place  in  18  90,  and  it  was 
rendered  accessible  in  1892.  It  is  a  curious, 
three-chambered,  perfectly  dark  construction. 
One  chamber,  the  central,  measures  twenty-four 
feet  by  sixteen,  and  the  others  which  are  to 
right  and  left  of  it,  and  are  entered  by  small 
doorways,  measure  respectively  fourteen  and 
eleven  feet  by  six.  All  have  vaulted  roofs,  the 
central  one  being  sustained  on  two  free  columns, 
and  eight  pilasters  built  into  the  walls.  In  this 
one  is  the  old  garden  well.  The  floor  of  the 
crypt  is  two  feet  eight  inches  below  the  average 
high-water  of  the  canals,  that  is  to  say,  it 
preserves  the     old   level   of  the  Piazza.      The 


70  THE    TITLE-PAGE 

third  resting-place  of  St.  Mark's  body,  where  it 
remained  concealed  from  976  to  1094,  is 
uncertain.  Two  places  in  the  church  are  said 
to  have  contained  it.  One  is  the  large  pilaster 
that  sustains  the  south-east  corner  of  the  central 
cupola  in  the  south  transept.  The  south  side 
of  this  pilaster  bears  a  panel  of  rich  mosaic 
decoration,  with  a  lamp  in  its  centre,  which  marks 
the  spot  from  which,  tradition  says,  the  body  was 
taken  in  1094.  When  showing  me  this,  however, 
the  present  architect  of  the  church,  Signor 
Saccardo,  said  that  he  had  had  the  pilaster  stripped 
of  its  incrustation,  and  that  he  found  it  had  never 
been  disturbed  since  the  church  was  built.  The 
other  supposed  hiding-place  of  the  body  is  a 
column  shown  in  a  mosaic  on  the  west  wall  of 
this  same  transept.  The  fourth  resting-place  of 
St.  Mark's  remains  was  the  new  crypt  of 
Contarini's  church,  the  present  one,  into  which 
it  was  borne  in  1094,  that  is,  twenty-three  years 
after  the  church  was  re-built.  This  crypt  is  under 
the  chancel,  and  the  two  adjoining  chapels  to 
north  and  south  of  it.  It  measures  ninety  feet 
by  seventy.  Its  roof  is  groined,  and  is  supported 
by  fifty-six  columns  of  Greek  marble  with 
beautiful  capitals.  In  the  centre  there  is  a 
square  cell  built  up  from  floor  to  ceiling.  Its 
upper  part  has  carved  and  perforated  stone  walls, 


WHAT   IT   SAYS   OF   ST.   MARK      71 

like  windows,  one  of  which  is  reached  by  three 
steps  worn  by  the  feet  of  pilgrims.  St.  Mark's 
body  was  placed  in  this  cell,  or,  to  use  its 
technical  name,  Confessione,  which  signifies  a 
place,  not  where  confessions  were  made,  but 
which  contained  the  remains  of  a  Confessor — one 
who  had  "  witnessed  a  good  confession."  In 
the  Confessione  there  was  placed  a  leaden  plate 
stating  that  this  sepulchre  was  made  "  in  the 
year  of  the  Incarnation  of  Jesus  Christ  1094,  in 
the  8  th  day  of  the  current  month  October,  in 
the  reign  of  the  Doge  Vital  Falier."  Here  the 
body  remained  till  1 8 1 1 ,  that  is,  for  the  long 
period  of  seven  hundred  and  seventeen  years. 
The  fifth  resting-place  of  the  body  was  under 
the  high  altar  in  the  chancel  of  the  present 
church,  and  there  it  still  remains.  In  January 
181 1,  the  massive  stone  work  of  the  Confessione^ 
in  the  crypt  below,  was  broken  into  and  a 
wooden  coffin  disclosed.  No  inscription  was 
outside,  but  there  was  one  on  an  enclosing 
stone  which  unfortunately  the  workmen  had  cut 
into.  Of  this  inscription  there  were  clearly 
legible  the  letters  S.  MA.  In  May  the  coffin 
was  opened  by  the  permission  of  the  Govern- 
ment, and  in  the  presence  of  its  representatives, 
when  the  chief  parts  of  a  human  skeleton  were 
found,  bones,  skull,  and  teeth,  the  plate  of  lead 


72  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

above  referred  to,  an  ornamented  box  of  balsam, 
coins  and  relics.  On  September  30th  all  these 
things  were  once  more  sealed  up  in  a  new  coffin, 
and  deposited,  as  I  have  said,  under  the  high 
altar. 

Before  leaving  the  subject  of  the  crypts,  I 
may  say  that  the  great  difficulty  connected  with 
them  has  been  the  keeping  them  free  from  water, 
a  difficulty  that  increases  constantly,  owing  to  a 
general,  though  slow  subsidence,  that  is  always 
taking  place.  However,  from  the  time  of  their 
construction  till  the  third  quarter  of  the  sixteenth 
century  they  were  tolerably  free  from  water, 
and  a  Brotherhood,  that  of  the  Mascoli  (Males), 
held  their  meetings  in  the  newer  one,  from 
1 21 2  till  1580.  Since  then  they  have  been 
more  or  less  under  water  until  1892,  when 
Signor  Saccardo,  who  had  been  concentrating  his 
engineering  skill  upon  the  problem  for  many 
years,  at  last  mastered  it,  and  they  are  now, 
though  necessarily  chill  and  damp,  completely 
free  from  water,  and  are  maintained  in  perfect 
order.  They  are  lighted  by  electricity,  but  only 
opened  to  the  public  once  a  year,  on  April  i^\h.\ 
St.  Mark's  Day.  Travellers  may,  however,  obtain 
access  to  them  at  other  times. 

Such  is  the  slory  our  Title-page  has  to  tell  us 
of  the   Evangelist   St.    Mark.      Part   of  it   is 


WHAT   IT   SAYS   OF   ST.   MARK      73 

founded  on  historic  fact,  and  part  of  it  on 
tradition,  but  all  together  it  tells  us  how  it  was 
that  the  Venetians  came  to  build  this  church 
and  dedicate  it  to  him,  how  it  was  they  came  to 
print  this  Bible,  and  to  write  his  name  on  it, 
how,  in  fact,  it  was  that  we  to-day  possess  this 
glorious  Bible  of  St.  Mark. 

(I  may  here  say  that  the  story  of  St.  Mark  is 
inscribed  again — twice  over,  indeed — within  the 
walls  of  the  church.  These  records,  however, 
I  have  thought  it  best  to  give  separately,  in  an 
Appendix,  at  the  end  of  the  book.  See  Notes  A. 
and  B.) 


CHAPTER   III 

WHAT   THE   TITLE-PAGE    SAYS    OF 
THE   VENETIANS 

As  title-pages  have  always  something  to  say  of 
the  makers  of  the  books  to  which  they  are  pre- 
fixed, so  is  it  with  this  of  St.  Mark's  Bible.  It  tells 
us  something  of  the  old  Venetians  to  whom 
we  owe  the  volume.  Directly  it  says  very  little 
about  them,  for  its  makers  were  of  those  who 

Raised  a  church  to  God,  and  not  to  fame, 
Nor  ever  spoilt  the  marble  with  a  name. 

Their  spirit  is  seen  in  the  law  they  passed  that 
no  monument  should  be  raised  to  any  Venetian 
in  sight  of  the  public,  as  all  were  equally  worthy 
citizens.  Latterly,  monuments  in  the  shape  of 
"Stones  of  Infamy,"  were  erected  to  criminals, 
and  many  of  them  are  still  to  be  seen  affixed  to 
the  walls  of  the  Doge's  Palace,  and  of  other 
public   buildings.     However,  one   name  we  do 


WHAT  IT  SAYS  OF  THE  VENETIANS    75 

find  on  the  facade  of  the  church,  but  only  one. 
It  is  on  one  of  the  bronze  doors  to  the  left  of 
the  main  entrance,  and  is  as  follows  :  +  MCCC. 
Magister  Bertucius  Aurifex  Venetus  me  fecit. 
There  is  also  but  one  portrait,  or  what  is  sup- 
posed to  be  a  portrait,  of  a  Venetian  on  our  Title- 
page.  It  is  on  the  left  hand  basement-stone  of 
the  archivolt,  over  the  central  door,  that  records 
the  trades  of  Venice.  It  is  supposed  to  be  that 
of  the  architect  of  the  church.  The  story  is 
that  he  had  undertaken  to  construct  a  perfect 
building,  and,  as  a  special  favour,  the  Republic 
ordered  that  this  stone  should  remain  uncarved 
until  the  church  was  finished,  when  it  should 
receive  his  likeness.  When  that  time  came  the 
church  seemed  perfect,  but  the  architect  in  an 
unguarded  moment  confessed  to  a  friend  that  in 
some  points  he  had  made  mistakes,  and  that  he 
had  failed  to  realise  his  ideal.  This  coming  to 
the  ear  of  the  Doge  he  ordered  that  his  failure 
should  be  made  manifest  in  his  portrait.  Accord- 
ingly it  was  done,  and  thus  it  exhibits  wisdom 
and  strength,  for  his  head  is  noble,  but  also 
weakness  and  disappointment,  for  he  is  repre- 
sented as  a  cripple,  with  crutches  under  his  arms, 
reclining  weariedly  in  a  chair,  biting  his  finger 
with  chagrin. 

But  if,  directly,  our  Title-page  tells  us  little  of 


76  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

the  Venetians,  indirectly  it  tells  us  much.  The 
two  archivolts  over  the  central  door  that  illus- 
trate (A)  The  Trades  of  Venice  and  (B)  The 
Months  of  the  Year,  with  Christ  on  their 
key-stones,  throw  a  flood  of  light  on  the  old 
Venetian  character.  Looking  at  them  as  a  whole 
they  show  us  that  the  Venetians  dedicated  their 
Work  and  their  Time  to  Christ.  They  show  us 
that  they  realized  religion  not  to  be  a  thing  of 
isolated  observances,  not  of  intellectual  assent  to 
truth,  nor  of  dreamy  mysticism,  but  of  something 
that  entered  into  daily  life,  and  hallowed  all  time 
and  all  labour.  They  show  us  that  as  the 
Venetians  realized  Christ  to  be  the  key-stone  of 
their  church,  so  they  realized  consecration  to  Him 
to  be  the  key-note  of  their  lives,  obeying  the 
injunction,  "Whatsoever  ye  do  in  word  or  in 
deed,  do  all  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus."  This 
assertion  receives  confirmation  when  we  look  at 
their  coins,  which  bear  on  one  side  the  image  and 
superscription  of  the  reigning  Doge,  but  on  the 
other  those  of  Jesus  Christ ;  or,  when  we  look 
at  the  inscription,  carved  so  that  all  might  read 
it,  on  the  gable  wall  of  the  first  church  that  was 
ever  built  in  Venice  (that  of  San  Giacomo  in 
the  market-place  of  the  Rialto),  which  is  as 
legible  to-day  as  when  it  was  put  up  a  thousand 
years  ago,  and  which,  Mr.  Ruskin  says,  it  was  the 


WHAT  IT  SAYS  OF  THE  VENETIANS  77 

joy  of  his  life  to  discover  :  "  Around  this  temple 
let  the  merchant's  laws  be  just,  his  balances  true, 
and  his  covenants  faithful." 

Looking  at  these  archi volts  in  detail  we  learn 
not  a  little  about  the  occupations,  habits,  and 
modes  of  life  of  these  old  Venetians.  We  shall 
read  the  Trades  Archivolt  first. 

(A)  The  Trades  Archivolt  speaks  of 
the  Venetians. — The  rule  that  held  amongst 
the  Jews  that  every  boy  should  be  taught  a  trade, 
was  in  force  also  amongst  the  Venetians.  Those 
who  neglected  it  and  grew  up  ignorant  of  a  handi- 
craft, were  calltd  feccia  (dross  or  dregs),  but  of 
such,  happily,  there  never  were  many  in  the  best 
days  of  the  Republic.  In  Venice  trades  of  all 
kinds  were  rapidly  developed,  and  as  early  as 
the  tenth  century  trade  guilds  were  formed. 
Each  guild,  like  the  foreign  colonists  settled 
in  Venice,  had  its  scuola  (chapter-house,  or 
Guildhall),  usually  large  and  beautiful  build- 
ings, and  the  greatest  Venetian  masters, 
Carpaccio,  Bellini,  Titian,  Tintoretto,  the 
Palmas  and  others,  painted  pictures  for  their 
walls,  for  the  guilds  became  extremely  wealthy. 
It  has  been  suggested,  and  the  suggestion  is 
probably  correct,  that  these  guilds  had  the 
representations  of  their  trades  on  this  archivolt, 
which  we  are  about  to  examine,  done  at  their 


78  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

own  expense.  The  scuola  buildings,  for  the 
most  part  are  still  standing,  but  only  one  retains 
its  pictures — that  of  the  Sclavonians,  San  Giorgio 
degU  Schiavoni^  decorated  by  Carpaccio.  The 
old  guilds  have  all  long  since  disappeared,  but 
one  has  recently  been  re-formed,  which  meets  in 
its  old  seat  in  the  once  famous  scuola  of  San 
Giovanni  Evangelista.  In  these  scuole  the  guilds 
used  to  regulate  the  affairs  of  their  trade  ;  to 
examine  apprentices,  who,  having  finished  their 
terms  of  study  and  service,  offered  themselves 
for  membership  ;  to  dispense  charity  to  the 
aged  or  sick,  and  to  help  the  widows  and  orphans 
of  members  who  had  died.  All  these  trans- 
actions were  regulated  by  a  code  of  statutes, 
made  by  each  guild,  and  called  the  Mariegola — 
a  word  about  whose  derivation  there  has  been 
much  discussion,  but  clearly  from  madre-regola 
(mother-law),  akin  to  matriculation.  But  all 
the  transactions  of  the  guilds  were  open  to 
Government  inspection,  and  their  laws  did  not 
become  valid  until  they  had  been  approved  by 
the  Giustizieri  Vecchii  and  the  Proveditori  di 
Comun.  In  St.  Mark's  Library  there  is  a 
summary  of  the  rules  drawn  up  in  1182,  by 
these  State  officials,  for  the  regulation  of  the 
guilds. 

The  term  used  in  Venice  for  a  handicraft,  when 


WHAT  IT  SAYS  OF  THE  VENETIANS  79 

our  Title-page  was  printed,  was  arte^  which 
tells  us  that  the  distinction  between  artist  and 
artisan  was  then  unknown.  The  baker  who 
baked  good  bread,  and  the  shoemaker  who  made 
good  shoes,  were  artists  (and  they  are  still  called 
so  in  Venice  at  the  present  day),  and  thus  they 
came  into  the  same  category  as  Titian  and 
Bellini.  The  beautifully  carved  and  painted 
chests,  in  which  brides  carried  their  trousseaux^ 
used  to  be  exposed  for  sale  in  the  Piazza  of  St. 
Mark,  and  these  great  masters  would  go  there 
to  paint  them.  Architecture,  sculpture,  and 
stone  cutting  formed  one  arte^  and  thus  Pietro 
Lombardo  and  his  sons  associated  with  stone- 
masons in  their  guild.  The  architects  Lombardo 
and,  in  later  days,  Canova,  even  had  boteghi 
(shops),  where  they  worked,  and  sold  their  goods. 

Altogether  there  are  fourteen  ard  represented 
on  our  archivolt,  seven  on  either  side  of  Christ. 
These  fourteen,  however,  represent  double  that 
number  of  trades  or  occupations,  for,  as  there 
was  not  the  subdivision  of  labour  there  is 
to-day,  each  ard  really  included  many  branches 
that  are  now  considered  separate  handicrafts. 
Reading  round  the  archivolt,  from  left  to  right, 
they  occur  in  the  following  order. 

{a)  Architecture. — This  is  the  first  arte 
of  which  it  speaks,  and  it  does  so   through  the 


80  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

portrait  of  the  architect  to  which  I  have  already 
referred.  It  is  an  arte  worthy  of  this  place  of 
honour,  even  if  we  have  regard  to  its  develop- 
ment in  Venice  alone  ;  and  the  architect  of  this 
facade,  who  is  thought  to  have  been  one  Filippo 
Calendario,  was,  in  spite  of  his  failings,  not  un- 
worthy to  represent  it.  The  inscription  on  Sir 
Christopher  Wren's  tomb  in  St.  Paul's  is  equally 
applicable  to  Filippo  Calendario,  Si  monu- 
mentum  requ^ris  circumspice.  And  the  whole 
city  of  Venice — a  city  of  palaces,  built  in  the  sea 
on  shifting  mud  and  sand,  that  have  stood  the 
wear  and  tear  of  centuries,  and  whose  strength 
and  symmetry  and  beauty  are  to-day  the  admira- 
tion of  the  world — is  the  proof  of  the  knowledge 
and  skill  in  architecture  possessed  by  these  old 
Venetians. 

{b)  Boat-building. — This  is  represented 
by  three  men,  squeraroli^  two  of  whom  are  on 
their  knees  under  a  boat  working  at  it  with 
hammer  and  wedges,  whilst  the  third  stands  in 
it  with  an  auger  in  his  hand.  There  is  also 
a  female  figure  in  the  boat  with  a  basket  of 
food.  The  conditions  of  life  of  the  Venetians, 
which  constrained  them  to  become  great  archi- 
tects, constrained  them  also  to  become  great 
boat-builders.  Their  streets  are  canals,  their 
carriages  are  gondolas  and  sandolos,  and  their 


Photo  by  C.  J\iaya 


II  .H.  ira>d&-Cc 


TRADES   ARCH  1  VOLT 
(Architecture,  Boat-building,  Wiue-selling,  Baking) 


p.  80 


WHAT  IT  SAYS  OF  THE  VENETIANS  81 

carts  and  barrows  are  burchii^  peate,  and  topi. 
The  Grand  Canal  is  a  national  highway,  kept  in 
order  by  the  Italian  Government.  Many  of  the 
ancient  boat-building  yards,  still  called  by  the 
old  Venetian  name,  squero,  yet  exist  in  various 
parts  of  the  city,  and  are  amongst  the  most 
picturesque  and  characteristic  bits  of  Venice,  so 
that  the  boat-building  scene  depicted  on  this 
archivolt  can  be  seen  in  real  life.  But  there 
must  have  been  a  very  large  number  at  one 
time,  for  many  streets  bear  the  name  Calie 
dello  Squero^  where  no  boat-yard  exists.  The 
squero  has  disappeared,  the  name  remains,  to 
mark  where  it  once  was.  The  fleets  of  Venice, 
for  commerce  and  for  warfare,  filled  the 
neighbouring  seas,  and  a  visit  to  the  old 
Arsenal  helps  one  to  realize  how  the  Republic 
could  keep  afloat  six  fleets  of  merchant  ships, 
numbering  five  hundred  sail  each  ;  and  how, 
after  a  disastrous  battle,  she  could  build  a 
fleet  of  war-ships  in  less  than  a  year's  time. 
Venice  took  the  place,  in  ship-building,  that 
England  takes  to-day. 

(c)  Wine-selling. — In  the  representation 
of  this  trade  there  are  five  figures  arranged  in 
two  groups.  In  the  lower  one  a  magazzenier 
(wine-seller)  is  drawing  wine  into  a  jug  from  a 
barrel,  evidently  to  the  order  of  a  woman,  who 

F 


82  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

stands  leaning  against  it,  with  a  dish  in  her 
hand,  whilst  a  man  sits  a  few  paces  off  drinking 
the  wine  he  has  already  bought.  The  upper 
group  consists  of  two  men  carrying  a  large  tub 
of  wine,  by  means  of  a  stout  bar  of  wood  run 
through  its  handles,  the  ends  of  which  rest  on 
their  shoulders.  Because  of  the  narrowness 
of  the  Venetian  streets,  or  calli  as  they  are 
called,  this  is  the  only  way  heavy  loads  can 
be  carried  along  them.  Both  groups  are  as 
true  to  life  to-day,  as  when  carved  long 
centuries  ago. 

{d)  Baking. — The  representation  of  this 
trade  is  similar  in  conception  to  the  former  one. 
There  are  two  groups  of  two  persons  each.  In 
the  lower  one,  which  is  the  chief,  a  forner 
(baker)  is  selling  bread.  On  a  stool  before 
him  there  stands  a  big  basket  heaped  up  with 
loaves,  exactly  like  those  baked  in  Venice  to-day. 
Beside  him  a  woman  holds  out  her  apron,  and 
he  is  putting  bread  into  it.  She  has  evidently 
been  marketing,  for  a  bunch  of  fish  dangles  from 
her  hand  by  her  side.  In  the  upper  group  two 
men  are  carrying  bread  in  baskets,  one  having 
his  on  his  head,  and  the  other  bearing  his  in  his 
arms  straight  in  front  of  him,  a  mode  of  carry- 
ing necessitated,  as  in  the  case  of  the  wine-seller, 
by  the  narrowness  of  the  streets. 


WHAT  IT  SAYS  OF  THE  VENETIANS  83 

(e)  Trade  of  the  Butcher. — This  repre- 
sentation shows  the  killing  of  animals,  and  the 
selling  of  meat.  In  the  lower  part  there  is  a 
beccher  (butcher),  with  a  knife  in  his  hand 
raised  above  the  head  of  an  ox,  whilst  behind 
him  is  a  ram,  with  great  curling  horns,  that  has 
been  brought  also  to  meet  its  fate.  In  the 
upper  part  stands  an  assistant  with  an  axe  chop- 
ping off  meat  for  a  woman,  and  above  him 
another  carries  a  large  sheep  entwined  around 
his  neck. 

(/)  Milk  and  Cheese-selling. — Venice, 
like  a  well-equipped  ship,  has  always  had  a  few 
good  milch  kine  on  board,  but  still  its  main 
milk  supply  has  ever  to  be  drawn  from  the 
neighbouring  islands  in  the  lagoons,  and  from 
mainland  villages.  The  milk  is  sold  chiefly 
in  the  streets,  being  carried  about  from  door  to 
door  in  large  glass  bottles,  that  are  set  upright 
in  wicker  baskets.  Here  we  have  the  scene 
before  us.  A  man  has  just  such  a  basket  at 
his  feet,  and,  having  filled  his  measure  from  one 
of  its  glass  bottles,  is  pouring  the  milk  into 
a  pignat  (an  earthenware  pot)  in  a  woman's 
hand.  The  upper  group  represents  two  lads 
cutting  and  weighing  cheese. 

{g)  Stone-masonry  and  Brick-laying. 
— In  Venice  these  two  trades,  as  here  represented, 


84  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

form  but  one,  for  whilst  there  is  no  house  ex- 
clusively built  of  brick,  nor  any  exclusively  of 
stone,  both  materials  enter  largely  into  their 
composition.  The  foundations,  which  are 
always  the  most  expensive  part  of  a  building, 
are  of  massive  blocks  of  stone,  resting  on  piles 
of  wood;  and  the  walls  are  invariably  built  of 
brick,  but  are  usually  bound  together  here  and 
there  with  pieces  of  stone,  and  often  incrusted, 
at  least  on  the  front,  with  marble,  in  slabs,  or, 
as  the  case  with  the  Doge's  Palace,  in  the  form  of 
large  bricks.  The  difficulties  to  be  overcome  in 
raising  palaces  and  churches  on  shifting  mud 
and  sand,  amidst  flowing  water,  necessitated 
good  builders,  and  the  guild  of  this  craft  took 
care  that  such  its  members  should  be.  A  boy 
could  not  be  apprenticed  before  he  was  four- 
teen, and  he  had  to  serve  a  term  of  five  years. 
Even  after  that  he  could  not  pursue  his  arte 
until  he  had  built  a  window  and  a  chimney  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  guild.  This  was  not  an 
easy  task,  as  the  latter,  not  less  than  the  former, 
is  a  very  decorative  and  characteristic  feature 
of  a  Venetian  house,  often  running  up  the  out- 
side, overhanging  the  street,  and  developing 
into  a  miniature  temple,  castle,  or  palace  on 
the  top.  The  stability  of  Venetian  houses  is 
proved  by  the  green  old  age    of  numbers  of 


WHAT  IT  SAYS  OF  THE  VENETIANS  85 

them  that  have  weathered  the  storms  of  cen- 
turies. The  foundations  rarely  give  way,  and 
a  good  illustration  of  the  solidity  of  the  walls  is 
afforded  by  Palazzo  Foscari,  on  the  Grand 
Canal.  This  was  the  largest  private  palace  in 
Venice,  with  more  windows  than  there  are  days 
in  the  year,  and  yet  when  the  Commune  bought 
it  to  turn  it  into  a  Commercial  College,  we  are 
told  they  did  not  find  that  a  pound  of  iron,  or 
a  pound  of  lead  had  been  used  to  tie  it  to- 
gether. The  lagoons  of  Venice  furnished  clay 
for  the  making  of  brick,  and  we  find  that  in 
1326  a  decree  was  passed,  authorising  kilns  to 
be  erected,  and  offering  a  bounty  to  those  who 
should  make  bricks  according  to  a  certain 
measurement.  Venice,  however,  had  no  stone 
or  wood,  but  very  early  in  her  history  she 
obtained  possession  of  Istria,  across  the  Adriatic, 
which  afforded  her  inexhaustible  stores  of  both 
materials.  All  her  foundations  are  of  Istrian 
stone.  The  Dolomite  Highlands,  as  well  as 
Istria,  gave  her  timber  for  the  piles,  to  make 
which  whole  forests  were  used.  In  the  repre- 
sentation of  stone-masonry  and  brick-laying  we 
see  a  house  in  course  of  erection.  The  massive 
stone  foundations  have  been  laid,  and  two 
builders,  with  plummets,  trowels,  and  hammers, 
are  engaged  upon  the  walls,  whilst,  at  the  foot  of 


86  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

an  inclined  plane,  a  labourer  is  preparing  to 
ascend  to  them  with  a  load  of  bricks  on  his 
shoulder. 

We  have  travelled  up  one  half  of  the  archi- 
volt  to  the  key-stone,  on  which,  as  we  have 
already  seen,  the  figure  of  Jesus  Christ  as  the 
Lamb  (p.  42)  is  carved.  Descending,  then,  the 
other  half,  there  are  the  following  trades  : 

{h)  Shoemaking. — Here  there  is  a  com- 
plete picture  of  a  shoemaker's  shop.  One 
calegher  (cobbler)  sits  sewing  pieces  of  leather 
together  on  his  knee,  another  fits  a  boot  on  a 
last,  whilst,  lying  scattered  about,  or  hanging 
on  the  walls,  are  lasts,  awls,  a  heap  of  wax,  and 
a  pair  of  finished  boots. 

{i)  Barber- Surgery. — This  is  a  repre- 
sentation of  the  old  combination  of  barber 
and  surgeon.  But  the  ambition  of  the  trade 
has  led  it  to  throw  the  less  dignified  branch 
of  the  business  rather  into  the  back-ground, 
and  to  give  undue  prominence  to  the  other. 
The  duties  of  the  barber  are  only  sug- 
gested by  a  pair  of  scissors,  and  a  looking- 
glass  hanging  on  the  wall,  whilst  those  of  the 
surgeon  are  represented  by  two  harbieri  per- 
forming what  were  then  important  operations. 
One  is  applying  leeches  by  means  of  a  tube 
to  a  man's  temples.     The  other  has  got  a  poor 


Photo  by  C.  A'iiya 


*.,r 


//■.  //.   Ilar.i  &■  Co. 


TRADES   ARCH 1 VOLT 
(Wood-sawing,  Blacksmith,  Fishing) 


WHAT  IT  SAYS  OF  THE  VENETIANS  87 

patient's  head  firmly  wedged  under  his  left  arm, 
whilst  with,  his  right  he  pulls  vigorously  at  a 
tooth,  which  is  locked  in  the  grasp  of  an 
enormous  forceps, 

(k)  Cooperage. — This  ar^e  is  represented 
by  three  botteri  (coopers),  the  most  conspicuous 
of  whom,  apparently  the  master,  in  tightly- 
fitting  clothes  and  wearing  a  large-brimmed  hat, 
is  fixing  hoops  on  a  barrel,  by  means  of  a  chisel 
and  a  hammer ;  the  other  two,  presumably 
apprentices,  are  making  hoops,  one  having  a 
finished  one  in  his  hand,  and  another,  on  his 
shoulder,  a  coil  of  the  withes  with  which  the 
hoops  are  made. 

(/)  Carpentry.  —  Here  is  a  marangon 
(carpenter),  and  his  gar  zone  (apprentice).  The 
former  is  trimming  the  bough  of  a  tree  with  an 
adze,  and  the  latter  is  splitting  a  board  or  plank 
with  an  axe.  Carpentry  has  always  been,  and 
still  is,  one  of  the  chief  industries  of  Venice,  It 
takes  the  form  to-day  chiefly  of  furniture- 
making  and  wood-carving. 

{m)  Wood-sawing. — The  sawing  of  wood 
forms  a  distinct  arte  in  Venice,  and  gives 
employment  to  very  many  people.  The  reason  is 
that  the  thousands  of  trees  which  are  felled 
annually  in  the  great  forests  that  clothe  the  slopes 
of  the  Dolomite  mountains  are  cut  into  rafters 


88  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

and  planks  by  the  saw-mills  on  the  Piave,  and, 
formed  into  rafts,  are  floated  down^this  torrent- 
river  to  Venice,  partly  for  home  use,  but  mainly 
for  exportation.  The  great  quay  that  forms  the 
north  side  of  the  Giudecca  Canal  is  called  the 
Zattere^  or  the  place  of  rafts.  A  wood-yard  is 
called  terreno  (a  piece  of  land),  and  the  whole 
of  the  north-west  side  of  Venice  is  filled  with 
terreni.  Titian's  family  were  wood-merchants  of 
Pieve  di  Cadore,  and  the  great  painter  had  always 
a  share  in  the  family  saw-mill.  The  represen- 
tation of  this  arte  connects  the  trade  with  Venice 
and  the  Dolomite  Highlands.  An  axe  fixed  in 
a  tree  trunk,  with  the  woodman's  repast  in  a 
basket  hanging  on  one  of  its  branches,  suggests 
the  latter,  whilst  two  segadori  (sawyers),  busily 
engaged  sawing  a  piece  of  wood  with  a  cross-cut 
saw,  suggest  the  former. 

{n)  Arte  of  the  Smith. — Working  in  iron 
forms  now,  as  it  did  when  our  Title-page  was 
made,  one  of  the  chief  industries  of  Venice. 
There  is  still  the  Calle  dei  Fahri  (street  of  the 
Smiths)  running  out  of  the  Piazza  of  St.  Mark, 
and  forges  exist  in  every  quarter  of  the  city. 
As  early  as  1354  a  law  was  passed  prohibiting 
the  importation  of  manufactured  iron  goods,  as 
so  many  forges  had  been  started  on  the  main- 
land that  the  city  trade  was  being  hurt.     The 


WHAT  IT  SAYS  OF  THE  VENETIANS  89 

arte  of  the  smith  included  then,  as  now,  copper- 
working,  bell-casing,  gun-manufacturing,  tool- 
making,  and  commerce  in  iron.  The  Dolomite 
Tyrol  that  supplied  Venice  with  wood,  also 
furnished  it  with  iron  and  copper  ore,  though 
now  the  mines  are  nearly  all  closed.  The  scene 
that  represents  this  trade  is  a  facsimile  of  what 
exists  in  Venice  to-day.  Two  men,  an  elder  one 
in  a  fur  cap  and  big  shoes,  and  a  younger  one, 
are  working  at  an  anvil.  The  former  is  holding 
with  his  left  hand,  by  means  of  a  huge  pair  of 
pincers,  a  piece  of  red-hot  iron,  whilst  with  the 
other  arm  he  swings  a  hammer  on  it  to  the 
alternate  stroke  of  his  assistant. 

(o)  Fishing. — This  is  the  last  but  not  the 
least  important  of  the  arti  here  represented  ; 
indeed,  if  we  look  at  it  from  a  commercial  point 
of  view,  it  is  one  of  the  most  important.  The 
first  settlers  in  the  lagoons  were  fishermen,  and 
a  very  large  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  Venice, 
and  of  the  islands  around,  are  fishermen  still. 
And  fish  is  for  the  Venetians  both  a  staple 
article  of  food,  and  an  important  article  of 
commerce.  I  may  here  say  that  the  common 
notion  that  fish  are  caught  in  the  canals,  and 
that,  as  these  receive  the  sewage  of  the  city, 
they  are  consequently  more  or  less  unwholesome, 
is  a  wrong  one.     The  canals  are  not  generally 


90  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

fished  in  except  by  the  very  poor  ;  nor,  indeed, 
would  it  be  worth  while  doing  so,  as  owing  to 
the  constant  passage  of  boats,  and  probably  also 
to  the  impurity  at  times  of  the  water,  there  is  little 
to  be  found  in  them.  The  fish  are  taken  from 
the  lagoons  and  from  the  Adriatic.  In  the 
lagoons  artificial  means  are  used  for  their  reten- 
tion  and  propagation  by  the  construction  of 
what  are  called  Valli.  This  term  suggests  to 
the  mind  the  English  valley^  and  although  valli 
really  do  form  depressions  or  valleys  in  the  bed 
of  the  lagoons,  the  word  is  not  from  vallis,  a 
valley,  but  from  vallus,  a  stake  or  palisade, 
because  such  places  are  staked  or  fenced  around 
to  prevent  the  escape  of  the  fish.  They  are  of 
very  ancient  origin,  and  in  certain  charts  of  the 
lagoons,  dated  1 1 1 8  and  1 1 8 1 ,  they  are  called 
acqua  chiuse  (closed  waters).  There  are  some 
sixty  of  these  valli  existing  now,  and  there  were 
no  fewer  centuries  ago.  All  kinds  of  fish  are 
caught  in  sea  and  lagoon,  some  hundred  and 
fifty  varieties  in  all,  almost  all  of  which  are 
eaten,  for  scarcely  any  fish  comes  wrong  to  a 
Venetian.  One  of  the  sights  of  the  city  is  the 
frigipesce^  or  fried-fish  shops,  at  which  thousands 
of  the  poorer  people  buy  their  daily  food.  At 
these  places  all  kinds  of  small  fish  are  cooked  in 
boiling    oil,  and  a   handful  of  them,  with   an 


WHAT  IT  SAYS  OF  THE  VENETIANS  91 

added  pinch  of  salt,  can  be  bought  for  a  penny. 
This,  with  a  slice  of  yellow  polenta  (a  sort  of 
pease-pudding  made  of  Indian  corn),  sold  also  at 
tho.  frigipesce  for  a  few  centimes,  forms  a  whole- 
some and  nourishing  diet.  In  the  archivolt  the 
fish  are  represented  being  caught  by  net  and 
harpoon.  The  latter  instrument  is  chiefly  used 
now  for  catching  eels,  of  which  the  take  is 
enormous. 

Above  this  archivolt  stand  the  famous 
horses  referred  to  on  page  28, 

....  the  four  steeds  divine, 
That  strike  the  ground,  resounding  with  their  feet, 
And  from  their  nostrils  snort  etherial  flame 
Over  that  very  porch. 

And  on  the  red  marble  edge  of  the  apse  imme- 
diately below  it,  there  is  an  inscription  giving 
the  following  facts  regarding  them.  They  were 
brought  from  Constantinople  when  that  city  was 
captured  by  the  Venetians  under  Enrico  Dandolo 
in  1204,  they  were  first  taken  to  the  Arsenal, 
and  then  placed  where  they  now  stand  ;  they 
were  carried  by  Napoleon  to  Paris  in  1797,  and 
they  were  finally  restored  to  Venice  by  Francis 
I.  in  1 8 1 5.  Other  facts  regarding  them  are  these. 
The  copper  of  which  they  are  made  is  almost  pure, 
and  they  still  bear  the  traces  of  gilding.  They  are 
supposed  by  some   authorities  to   be   from  the 


92  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

hands  of  the  famous  Greek  sculptor,  Lysippus, 
who  lived  in  the  fourth  century  before  Christ  ; 
and  to  have  been  brought  from  Chios  to  Con- 
stantinople by  the  Emperor  Theodosius  II.,  who 
placed  them  in  the  Hippodrome  of  that  city. 
Others,  however,  believe  them  to  be  of  Roman 
workmanship,  and  to  have  adorned,  at  Rome, 
the  triumphal  arches  of  Nero  and  his  successors 
until  the  time  of  Constantine,  who  carried  them 
to  Constantinople  and  assigned  them  their 
place  on  the  Hippodrome.  At  any  rate  from 
Constantinople,  as  the  inscription  records,  they 
were  brought  to  Venice.  They  are,  as  I  have 
already  remarked,  the  only  example  extant  of  the 
horses  of  a  Greek  or  Roman  quadriga. 

Horses  being  placed  in  St.  Mark's  and  in 
other  churches,  such  as  the  Frari  and  S.  Giovanni 
e  Paolo  are  a  reminiscence  of  the  far-back  time 
when  they  were  common  in  Venice.  That  they 
were  so  we  learn  from  various  sources.  There 
are  laws  on  the  old  statute  books  for  the 
regulation  of  their  use  in  the  narrow  streets. 
Old  pictures  show  the  cavalcades  that  once 
traversed  the  city,  and  the  tournaments  held  in 
the  Piazza  of  St.  Mark — a  glowing  description 
of  which  Petrarch  has  left  us.  The  standard- 
bearer  of  Bajamonte  Trepolo,  the  conspirator, 
was  on  horseback  when  killed  near  the  church 


'-»t  ii<i  ilLi,'  III' 


Photo  by  C.  Naya 


U:  H.  liardSr  Co. 


BRONZE   HORSES   AXD   APEX    OF   FACADE 


WHAT  IT  SAYS  OF  THE  VENETIANS  93 

on  June  14,  13 10.  The  Councillors  of  the 
Doge,  like  the  prophets  of  Old  Testament 
times,  rode  on  white  mules,  and  the  word 
Muletta  was  in  use,  Sagredo  tells  us,  up  to  the 
very  fall  of  the  Republic,  to  denote  their 
salaries,  its  original  meaning  being  "  mule- 
money";  and  the  Fonte  delta  Paglia  takes  its 
name  from  the  Doge's  stables  of  which  the 
water-door  was  close  at  hand.  The  substitution, 
however,  at  the  close  of  the  fifteenth  century,  of 
stone  step  bridges  for  the  old  wooden  sloping 
ones,  rendered  the  continued  service  of  horses  in 
Venice  impossible. 

(B)  The  Time  Archivolt  speaks  of 
the  Venetians. — This  archivolt,  with  Christ 
on  the  key-stone,  and  the  months  of  the 
year  running  round  it  on  either  side  of  Him, 
tells  us,  as  we  have  seen,  how  these  Venetians 
dedicated  their  time  to  Christ.  And  now  by 
examining  it  in  detail  we  shall  learn  what 
further  it  has  to  tell  us  of  them.  The  bases 
of  the  archivolt  have  vases  carved  on  them, 
beside  which  stand  doves  and  herons  in  the  act 
of  drinking,  and  pecking  at  food.  Out  of  the 
vases  spring  vines  and  garlands  of  oak-leaves, 
symbolising  those  who  are  joined  to  Christ  by 
faith,  which  rising  gracefully  up  either  side  of 
the    arch,   and,    crossing  and   recrossing    it    at 


94  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

intervals,  form  leafy  frames  for  the  figures  of 
the  months,  until  they  meet  round  Christ  on 
the  apex.  Each  month  has  a  primary  and 
a  secondary  representation,  the  one  consisting 
of  a  figure  engaged  in  an  occupation  appro- 
priate to  the  season,  and  the  other  being  the 
zodiacal  sign,  or  symbol.  The  name  of  each 
month  is  carved  on  a  scroll  that  runs  across  the 
archivolt,  dividing,  with  the  stems  of  vine  and 
oak,  one  month  from  another.  Some  few  of 
the  figures  of  the  months  are  peculiar  to  Venice. 
January.  —  A  man  clothed  warmly,  and 
booted  strongly,  for  cold  weather,  who  carries  on 
his  shoulder  a  thick  oak  branch,  stands  for  this 
month.  Above  him,  towards  the  outer  edge  of 
the  archivolt,  was  carved  the  word  Janario^  of 
which  however  only  a  few  letters  now  remain  ; 
and  above  him  towards  its  inner  edge  is  the 
sign  of  Aquarius^  the  Water-carrier,  consisting 
of  wavy  lines  that  are  generally  used  to  signify 
water.  In  the  case  of  all  the  other  months  not 
the  zodiacal  sign,  but  the  symbolic  figure  is 
given.  It  is  also  noticeable  that  in  no  case  is 
the  zodiacal  sign  or  symbol  placed  wholly  in  the 
month  to  which  it  refers.  Thus  Aquarius  is 
really  in  February,  Pisces,  which  belongs  to 
February  is  half  in  that  month  and  half  in 
March,  the  Ram,  which   belongs   to  March  is 


Pho.'o  by  C.  S'aya 


TlMf:  ARCHIVOLT 
(January — February — March) 


WHAT  IT  SAYS  OF  THE  VENETIANS  95 

partly  in  April,  and  so  on  with  the  others. 
Perhaps  in  this  way  the  Venetians  wished  to 
show  the  precession  of  the  Equinox,  and  that 
they  were  aware  that,  in  consequence  of  that 
precession,  the  signs  do  not  correspond  with  the 
constellations. 

February. — February  is  an  old  man  in  a 
cappa  pluvialis^  that  is,  a  short  fur  cloak  with  a 
hood,  such  as  was  then  worn,  who  sits  in  front 
of  a  fire  of  wood  warming  his  hands  and  his 
bare  feet.  The  carving  of  the  leaf  of  the 
encircling  vine  of  the  archivolt  is  visible  behind 
the  legs,  and  above  the  back  of  the  chair  on 
which  he  sits.  Above  him  are  the  name 
Febbraio,  and  the  sign  of  Pisces,  consisting  of 
two  fish,  one  in  this  month  and  one  in  March. 
Mr.  Ruskin,  speaking  of  these  two  months, 
says,  "  January  is  frequently  represented  as  the 
two-headed  Janus  sitting  at  a  table,  drinking  at 
one  mouth  and  eating  at  the  other,  and 
February  by  a  female  figure  carrying  candles  in 
honour  of  the  purification  of  the  Virgin."  The 
Venetians,  by  avoiding  both  these  representa- 
tions, and  choosing  instead  forest  wood  and 
blazing  hall-fires,  show  a  healthy,  wholesome, 
social  spirit. 

March. — In  this  bas-relief  a  tall  Venetian 
soldier  stands  erect,  fully  armed,  with  his  long 


96  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

hair  blown  back  by  the  breeze.  His  right 
hand  grasps  a  long  spear,  whilst  his  left  rests  on 
the  top  of  a  shield,  on  which  is  cut  the  winged 
lion  of  St.  Mark  with  the  Bible  under  its  paw. 
A  little  figure,  who  kneels  before  him,  blowing 
a  horn  vigorously,  is  meant  to  suggest  the 
proverbal  winds  of  this  month,  and  to  account 
for  the  breeze  playing  through  the  soldier's  hair. 
The  word  Mars,  and  Aries,  the  Ram,  are 
carved  above  him.  The  Venetians  were,  what 
they  here  claim  to  be,  true  sons  of  Mars,  endued 
with  all  brave  and  honourable  military  virtues. 

April. — April  is  represented  by  a  young 
shepherd  who  holds  in  his  right  hand,  as  a 
crook,  a  leafy  bough,  and  carries  round  his  neck 
and  shoulders  a  lamb,  both  emblems  of  return- 
ing spring.  The  sign  'T'aurus,  the  Bull,  and  the 
name  Aprilis  are  visible  above. 

May. — Here  there  is  a  flowery,  coronation 
scene.  May,  clothed  in  a  loose  flowing  robe, 
sits  enthroned,  enjoying  the  beauty  and  fragrance 
of  a  rose  which  he  holds  in  one  hand,  the  long 
stalk  of  which  descends  into  the  other  in  his  lap  ; 
whilst  two  fair  figures  beside  him  set  a  crown 
of  roses  on  his  head.  The  name  and  zodiacal 
sign  have  changed  places  in  this  month,  the 
Gemini,  the  Twins,  consisting  of  two  baby  heads, 
being  towards  the  inner  edge  of  the  archivolt, 


iT.^^' 


J.'^X 


f 


] 


J  •— iiw™ 


J 


wtsm 


TIME  ARCH  I  VOLT 
(April  — May— June) 


W.  t/.  Kara  &■  Co. 


WHAT  IT  SAYS  OF  THE  VENETIANS  97 

and  the  word  Mazo  towards  the  outer.  Mr. 
Ruskin,  speaking  of  this  month,  says  that  it  is 
"  a  very  unusual  representation  even  in  Italy, 
where,  as  in  the  north.  May  is  almost  always 
riding  out,  hunting  and  hawking."  The  reason 
is  not  far  to  seek.  The  Venetians  could  not 
indulge  in  such  pastimes,  whilst  love  of  flowers 
is  a  pleasing  trait  in  their  character.  In  the 
month  of  May,  the  very  streets  of  Venice  are 
brightened  and  sweetened  by  the  quantities  of 
flowers  that  are  heaped  up  in  the  open  shop 
windows,  and  carried  about  in  the  streets,  in 
baskets,  for  sale.  Most  of  these  flowers  are 
imported  from  the  Riviera,  but  many  are  grown 
in  the  city  itself.  There  are  far  more  gardens 
in  Venice  than  strangers  are  aware  of,  and 
many  of  them  are  acres  in  extent.  Indeed, 
there  are  very  few  blocks  of  houses — isole^ 
islands,  as  they  are  called — that  have  not  a 
garden  in  their  centres ;  and  the  people  are 
fond  of  using  their  balconies,  terraces  and 
windows  for  flower  cultivation. 

June. — Here  a  reaper,  with  a  sickle  in  his 
hand,  is  cutting  down  the  golden  grain.  He 
has  a  long  beard,  and  wears  a  broad-brimmed 
straw  hat  to  shelter  head  and  face  from  the  sun. 
The  name  of  this  month  has  become  illegible  on 
the  ribbon  scroll,  but  above  it,  the  symbol  of 


98  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

the  Crab  for  the  constellation  Cancer^  is  in  the 
usual  position. 

We  have  now  read  one  side  of  the  archivolt, 
and  reached  the  key-stone  with  Jesus  Christ, 
the  Creator,  and  the  Sun  and  Moon  carved 
upon  it  (see  page  35).  Reading  now  the  other 
side  downward,  we  find  the  months  of  the  second 
half  of  the  year. 

July. — July  is  the  hay-making  month  in 
Venetia,  and  accordingly  it  is  here  represented 
by  a  man,  attired  like  the  figure  of  June,  who, 
with  a  long  scythe,  is  busily  occupied  in  mowing 
down  the  grass.  Above  him  is  Leo^  represented 
by  his  symbol  of  the  Lion,  and  the  name  'Julio 
is  inscribed  on  the  ribbon  scroll, 

August. — A  young  man,  clothed  in  a  loose 
easy  garment,  is  reposing  luxuriously  in  a  richly 
carved  Byzantine  chair,  with  his  feet  in  slippers, 
resting  on  an  embroidered  cushion.  He  has 
fallen  asleep,  and  his  head  rests  on  his  right 
hand,  whilst  his  left  holds  a  fan,  formed  like  a 
banderole.  At  the  present  day  it  is  a  more 
common  thing  to  see  in  the  streets  of  Venice,  in 
August,  young  men  with  fans  in  their  hands,  or 
projecting  out  of  their  breast  pockets,  than 
without  them.  A  young  girl,  looking  down 
upon  the  sleeper  from  above,  with  her  hand 
raised  as  if  to  guard  him  from  disturbance,  very 


Photo  by  C.  Nay  a 


TIME  ARCHIVOLT 

(July — August — September) 


//'.  //.  PFard&Co. 


WHAT  IT  SAYS  OF  THE  VENETIANS  99 

aptly  represents  the  zodiacal  sign,  Virgo.     The 
word  Agosto  is  legible  on  the  name-scroll. 

September. — September  is  grape-harvest 
month,  and  so  here  a  vendemmiatore  (a  grape 
gatherer)  is  carrying  a  large  basket  full  of  grapes 
on  his  back.  The  basket  is  of  plaited  wicker- 
work,  and  he  holds  it  by  means  of  two  stout  ropes 
across  his  shoulder.  The  same  kind  of  basket, 
borne  in  the  same  way,  is  seen  still  in  use  in 
Venice.  The  symbol.  Libra,  the  Balance,  is 
seen  above,  under  the  chair  of  the  sleeper  of 
the  former  month.  The  name  Setebrio  is  in- 
scribed on  the  scroll,  and  sitting  on  it  there  is 
a  hawk,  meant  still  further  to  symbolise  the 
month. 

October. — This  month  is  personified  by  a 
man  digging  with  a  very  long-handled  spade, 
such  as  is  used  in  the  present  day  in  Venetia.  The 
broad-brimmed  hat  of  the  summer  labourers 
has  been  exchanged  for  a  narrow-brimmed  one, 
with  a  long  tapering  conical-shaped  crown.  On 
the  scroll  is  written  the  word  Otobrio,  and  a 
scorpion,  the  zodiacal  sign,  Scorpio,  is  crawling 
up  the  soffit  over  his  head. 

November. — Here  again  a  man  is  engaged  at 
an  occupation  very  characteristic  of  Venetia  and 
indeed  of  Italy,  namely,  that  of  catching  birds  by 
the  use  of  bird-lime.     An  artificial  tree  is  erected 


100  THE   TITLE-PAGE 

on  a  bare  height,  which  offers  a  temptation  to 
wearied  birds,  especially  birds  of  passage,  to 
alight.  The  success  of  this  method  is  here  in- 
dicated by  the  man  holding  two  birds  in  his 
left  hand,  whilst  with  his  right  he  is  removing 
another  from  a  branch.  Two  more  birds,  free, 
but  ready  to  ensnare  themselves,  perch  on  the 
boughs  above.  The  quantity  of  birds  of  pass- 
age caught  in  Italy  is  such,  at  the  present  day, 
as  very  appreciably  to  diminish  the  number  that 
reach  the  northern  countries  of  Europe.  Lately 
the  societies  of  Norway  and  Sweden  for  the 
preservation  of  birds  sought  to  make  the  matter 
an  international  question.  On  the  scroll  is 
written  the  name  Novebrio.  The  zodiacal 
sign  of  the  month  Sagittarius^  a  figure,  half-beast 
and  half-man,  is  in  the  act  of  shooting  an  arrow 
from  his  bow  into  the  air. 

December. — A  man  in  the  act  of  kiUing  a 
pig  personifies  this  month.  The  animal  has  been 
thrown  on  its  side,  and  the  man,  holding  back 
its  head  with  his  left  hand,  plunges  a  knife  into 
its  extended  throat  with  his  right.  "  Killing 
the  mert,"  as  it  is  called  in  the  north  of  Scot- 
land, for  the  Christmas  cheer,  is  a  still  prevail- 
ing custom.  The  name  Decembrio^  and  the 
symbol  Capricornus,  the  Goat,  are  seen  above 
this   figure.     There   is   also   a  woman,  with   a 


Pholo  by  C  Naya 


n:  H.  Hard &■  Co. 


TIME  ARCH  I  VOLT 
(October— November— December) 


p.    ICO 


WHAT  IT  SAYS  OF  THE  VENETIANS  101 

strange  creature  which  has  the  head  of  a  bird, 
the  body  of  a  beast,  and  the  tail  of  a  fish. 

We  have  thus  read  what  our  Title-page  has  to 
tell  us  of  these  old  Venetians,  who,  in  that  far 
back  time,  manufactured  for  us  our  St.  Mark's 
Bible.  We  have  learned  something  as  to  the 
amount  and  kind  of  knowledge  they  possessed, 
as  to  their  ideas  of  things,  as  to  the  nature  of 
the  work  they  did,  and  as  to  the  spirit  that 
animated  them  in  the  doing  it  ;  and  we  have 
seen  them  to  have  been  good  men,  destined  and 
qualified  to  execute  noble  and  enduring  work. 


PART   II 
THE    OLD  TESTAMENT 

INSCRIBED  IN  THE 
ATRIUM 


PART   II:   THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

Turning  over  our  Title-page,  or,  in  other 
words,  passing  over  the  threshold  of  the  portal 
of  the  Church,  we  find  the  Old  Testament 
portion  of  St.  Mark's  Bible.  This  is  the 
spacious  Atrium  that  runs  round  two  parts  of 
the  Church — the  western  end  and  the  northern 
side.  The  leaves  of  this  Old  Testament  are 
leaves  of  gold,  and,  spread  in  gleaming  sheets, 
they  line  its  domes  and  vaults. 

The  whole  canon  of  Old  Testament  Scripture 
is  not  here  ;  on  the  contrary,  there  is  but  a  small 
portion  of  it.  Still  it  is  the  chief  portion  of  it, 
the  foundation,  the  spring  and  source  and  root 
of  all  that  follows,  for  it  gives  us  the  history  of 
the  world  from  the  Creation  to  the  deliverance 
of  the  Children  of  Israel — God's  chosen  people 
— from  the  bondage  of  Egypt,  under  Moses, 
and  the  miraculous  provision  made  for  them  in 
their  wanderings  until  they  were  welded  into  a 
nation,  and  settled  in  the  land  of  Canaan.  The 
rest  of  Scripture  is  simply  the  development  of 


106  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

God's  covenant  relationship  with  this  nation, 
until  in  the  fulness  of  time  the  Messiah  came, 
whose  advent  explains  their  existence  and  selec- 
tion, and  the  whole  drift  and  character  of  their 
history.  The  careful  study,  then,  of  this  foun- 
dation part  of  Old  Testament  Scripture — 
especially  if  we  catch  the  spirit  of  the  inscribers 
— will  enable  us  the  better  to  understand  what 
is  lacking  here,  but  which  we  possess  in  the 
sacred  canon,  and  enable  us  the  better  to  under- 
stand the  New  Testament  portion  of  our  book, 
which  is  written  up  within  the  church  itself. 

The  roof  of  the  atrium  is  divided  into  six 
cupolas,  which,  with  their  spandrels,  arches,  and 
separating  vaults,  form  the  following  nine 
chapters. 


/T\ 


Apse  of  Transept 

Door 

Cupola  6  and 

Lunettes 

,     5  and  South 
Lunette 

,     4  Lunettes 
and  Spandrels 


„     2  and 

Lunettes 

Vault  2  West   Half 

„      I  and  East 
Half  Vault  2 

Cupola  I 

(Lunettes  of) 


Link  between  Old 
and  NewTestaments 

History  of  Moses 


„         Joseph 
,,         Joseph 

„  Joseph 

,,         Abra- 
ham 

The  Tower  of  Babel 

The  Deluge  and 

Noah 

Cain  and  Abel 


D/AGMM  OF  MOSA/CS 

OLD  T€STAMENT 


P.  io6 


CHAPTER   I 

THE   CREATION 
FIRST  CUPOLA    (TO  THE  RIGHT  ON  ENTERING) 

The  story  of  the  Creation  begins  near  the 
apex  of  this  cupola,  eastward,  and  runs  round 
and  round  it  with  the  sun,  in  three  ever- widening 
concentric  belts  or  zones.  These  zones  are  again 
subdivided  into  spaces,  each  of  which  tells  the 
work  of  a  creative  day,  or  a  distinct  historical 
incident.  This  partitioning  secures,  as  shown 
in  the  illustration,  both  the  separateness  and  the 
progressive  continuity  of  the  creative  work. 
The  two  first  zones  tell  the  story  of  the  six 
days'  work  and  the  institution  of  the  Sabbath  ; 
and  the  third  tells  of  the  creation  of  woman, 
of  the  fall,  and  of  the  expulsion  of  our  first 
parents  from  Paradise. 

Before  going  over  these  in  detail,  however, 
I  wish  to  call  attention  to  one  thing  worthy  of 
special  note.     There  is  no  likeness  of  God  the 


108  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

Father  in  any  of  the  mosaics.  The  Byzantine 
workers  did  not  dare  to  attempt  to  make  a 
figure  of  Him  who  is  invisible,  "  whom  no  man 
hath  seen  or  can  see,"  but  always  in  His  stead 
put  Jesus  Christ,  "He  whose  goings  forth  have 
been  from  of  old,  from  everlasting."  And 
Christ  is  so  brought  before  us  in  various 
aspects  :  as  "  the  visible  image  of  the  invisible 
God "  ;  as  he  through  whom  God  manifests 
Himself  and  works,  every  act  of  creation  being 
here  represented  as  wrought  by  Christ,  "  by 
Him  all  things  were  made  "  ;  as  He  through 
whom  every  communication  between  God  and 
man  took  place  ;  and  as  the  great  Archetype  of 
man,  wearing,  before  time  began,  that  image 
after  the  pattern  of  which  man  was  made. 

(i)  The  Spirit  Moving  on  the  Face 
of  the  Waters. — The  chapter  opens  by 
showing  us  a  pure  white  dove,  fluttering  with 
outspread  wings  over  a  dark  chaotic  mass, 
across  which  run  irregular  waved  lines  of  white, 
indicating  water,  amidst  which  is  seen,  in 
shadowy  outline,  the  form  of  our  globe. 
The  earth,  "  created  in  the  beginning,"  is  here 
represented  "  without  form,  and  void,  and 
darkness  is  on  the  face  of  the  deep,  and  the 
spirit  of  God  "  imparts  movement  to  the  waters. 
A  bright  gold  disc  is  set  behind  the  head  of  the 


THE   CREATION  109 

dove,  to  bring  out  the  divinity  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  as  the  third  person  in  the  Trinity. 
The  text  referring  to  this  subject,  written  over 
it,  is :  In  principio  creavit  Deus  ccelum  et 
terram — Spiritus  Domini  ferebatur  super  aquas 
(Gen.  i.  1-2). 

(2)  Creation  of  Light  (ist  Day). — This 
second  division  shows  the  Creation  of  Light, 
the  work  of  the  first  day.  Jesus,  the  Creating 
Word,  stands  clothed  in  white  and  gold,  with 
a  gold  disc  behind  His  head,  as  in  the  case  of 
the  dove,  indicative  of  His  divinity,  and  upon 
the  disc  the  shadow  of  the  cross,  to  suggest 
His  humanity.  His  left  hand  holds  a  cross- 
sceptre,  the  "  rod  of  his  power,"  and  His  right 
hand  is  raised  in  the  attitude  of  command,  as  if 
He  had  just  uttered  the  fiat,  "  Let  there  be 
light."  As  the  lighting-up  of  the  sun  and 
moon  are  not  spoken  of  till  the  fourth  day,  the 
source  of  this  light  is  not  here  indicated,  but 
only  its  effect  on  our  earth,  which  is  shown 
first  in  light  and  then  in  shadow.  In  the 
former  representation  it  is  a  red  globe,  against 
a  lightish  grey  background,  emitting  six  groups 
of  bright  golden  rays  ;  and  in  the  latter,  it  is  a 
dull  blue  globe  against  a  dark  background, 
emitting  six  groups  of  shaded  golden  rays. 
The  idea  of  rotation  on  its  axis  before  a  source 


110  THE   OLD  TESTAMENT 

of  light  is  hereby  conveyed,  and  also  the 
phenomena  of  day  and  night.  The  colours  red 
and  blue  have  been  chosen,  because  the  former 
is  a  symbol  of  light,  and  the  latter  of  darkness. 
An  angel,  who  represents  the  first  creative 
day,  stands  beside  Christ,  with  its  arms  extended 
in  wonder  and  in  praise  at  seeing  for  the  first 
time  His  marvellous  creating  power,  and  with 
one  wing  coloured  blue,  and  one  red,  to  bring 
out  the  symbolism  of  the  "evening  and  the 
morning."  God  has  created  the  light,  and 
"  divided  the  light  from  the  darkness,  and  called 
the  light  day,  and  the  darkness  he  called  night. 
And  the  evening  and  the  morning  were  the  first 
day."  Probably  the  six  bright  and  the  six  dull 
rays  indicate  the  six  days  and  nights  of  the 
creative  week  that  is  to  follow.  The  text  is  : 
zApellavitque  lucem  diem,  et  tenehras  noctern 
(Gen.  i.  3-5). 

(3)  Creation  of  a  Firmament  (2nd  Day). 
— The  next  scene  shows  us  our  globe  in  the 
midst  of  divided  waters,  depicted  as  before  by 
wavy  lines  of  white,  not,  however,  on  a  dark, 
but  on  a  blue,  background,  because  of  the 
presence  of  light  and  order.  Christ  stands  as 
portrayed  in  the  previous  day's  work.  Here 
He  commands,  "Let  there  be  a  firmament  in 
the  midst  of  the  waters,  and  let  it  divide  the 


THE   CREATION  111 

waters  from  the  waters."  Two  angels  announce 
a  second  day  added  to  the  creative  week. 
Above  is  written  :  Fiat  firmamentum  in  medio 
aquarum  (Gen.  i.  6-8). 

(4)  Formation  of  the  Dry  Land  and  of 
Seas,  and  Creation  of  Vegetation  (3rd 
Day). — The  representation  of  the  third  day's 
work  covers  two  spaces  in  our  zone,  for  there 
were  two  distinct  creative  acts  which  are  here 
distinguished.  In  the  first  space  Christ  is  utter- 
ing the  command,  "  Let  the  waters  under  the 
heaven  be  gathered  together  unto  one  place,  and 
let  the  dry  land  appear,"  and  in  obedience  to 
His  command  we  see  the  waters  receding  in  all 
directions,  and  undulating  dry  land  appearing. 
The  word  terram  is  inscribed  in  large  gold 
letters.  There  is  no  angel  here,  for  the  day's 
work  is  not  yet  over  ;  so  a  second  time  Christ 
is  represented.  He  has  said,  "Let  the  earth 
bring  forth  grass,  the  herb  yielding  seed,  and 
the  fruit  tree  yielding  fruit,"  and  around  Him 
is  spread  a  gay  bright  scene  with  a  wealth  of 
grass  and  herb,  of  flower  and  tree.  The  trees 
in  the  mosaic  are  evidently  the  Tree  of  Life, 
and  the  Tree  of  the  Knowledge  of  Good  and 
Evil.  The  branches  and  foliage  and  fruit  of 
the  former  resemble  in  shape  and  colour  the 
tail  of  a  peacock,  that  bird  being  the  symbol  of 


112  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

eternal  life,  whilst  the  latter  is  an  apple  tree, 
below  it  being  written  the  words  lignum 
pomi.  Another  angel  stands  with  the  other 
two  —  the    newly-born    third    day.     (Gen.    i. 

9-13.) 

(5)  Creation  of  Sun  and   Moon  (4th 

Day). — This  day's  work  is  depicted  in  the 
opening  mosaic  of  the  second  or  middle  zone. 
Before  Christ,  whose  dress  and  attitude  are 
unchanged,  is  a  great  blue  disc  covered  with 
stars  of  gold.  Near  the  upper  edge  of  it  is  a 
large  red  ball  with  a  face  on  it,  emitting  golden 
rays,  and  near  its  lower  edge  a  small  darkish 
grey  one  with  an  irregular  surface  mountain, 
sea,  and  valley.  "And  God  made  two  great 
lights,  the  greater  light  to  rule  the  day,  and 
the  lesser  light  to  rule  the  night,  he  made 
the  stars  also."  Watching  Christ  in  His  work 
are  four  angels,  "  and  the  evening  and  the 
morning  were  the  fourth  day."  Fiant  lumin- 
aria  in  firmamento  cceli  (Gen.  i.  14-19). 

(6)  Creation  of  Fish  and  Fowl  (5th 
j)ay). — Our  earth  is  beginning  to  wear  a  look 
familiar  to  us,  as  in  this  mosaic  there  are  repre- 
sented ocean  and  island,  breezy  atmosphere, 
blue  sky,  and  green  fields.  The  ocean  teems 
with  life,  from  the  tiniest  fish  to  the  great 
whale,    and    big    crustaceans   crawl    upon    the 


THE   CREATION  113 

shore,  whilst  conspicuous  amongst  them  all  is 
a  dragon — "  the  dragon  of  the  sea  " — "  dragons 
and  all  deeps  "  are  there.  Above  the  waters  land 
and  aquatic  birds  of  every  variety  and  colour, 
and  great  bats,  fly  in  the  air.  The  waters 
have  "  brought  forth  abundantly  the  moving 
creature  that  hath  life,  and  fowl  that  may  fly 
above  the  earth  in  the  open  firmament  of 
heaven."  All  this  life  is  due  to  the  creating 
power  of  Christ  who  stands,  with  five  angels 
near  Him,  on  the  green  sward.  Beside  the 
furthest  angel  are  two  peacocks,  and  a  little 
pool  of  water  with  birds  swimming  in  it. 
"  And  the  evening  and  the  morning  were  the 
fifth  day"  (Gtn.  i.  20-23).  -Dm/  etiam 
Dominus :  producant  aqu^e  reptile  anima  viventis 
et  volatile  super  terram  :  jumenta  et  omnia  reptilia 
in  genere  suo  (Gen.  i.  20-23). 

(7)  Creation  of  Animals  and  Man 
(6th  Day). — The  work  of  this  day,  like  that  of 
the  third,  consists  of  two  separate  creative  acts, 
{a)  the  creation  of  animals  and  {b)  the  creation 
of  man.  These  the  mosaic  workers  distinguish, 
not  only  by  placing  them  in  two  separate  com- 
partments of  the  zone,  but  by  the  use  of  other 
means  which  give  singular  dignity  to  the  latter 
act.  {a)  Christ,  in  the  first  half  of  the  mosaic, 
is  standing    robed  in  white  as  before,  creating 

H 


114  THE    OLD   TESTAMENT 

cattle,  creeping  thing  and  beast.  Before  Him 
are  animals  of  all  kinds  in  pairs,  lions  and 
tigers,  white  horses  and  black  bears,  oxen  and 
sheep,  camels  and  antelopes,  rabbits,  pigs,  and 
donkeys,  {b)  In  the  second  part  of  the  mosaic 
Christ's  attitude  and  mode  of  action  in  creating 
are  completely  changed.  He  no  longer  stands 
apart  from  the  object  He  is  creating,  calling  it 
into  being  by  His  word  alone.  He  draws  near 
to  man.  Sitting  enthroned.  He  fashions  him 
with  His  hands.  Adam's  kinship  with  the 
lower  animals  is  brought  out  in  that  he  is 
created  on  the  same  day  with  them,  and  his 
colour — black — makes  us  think  of  the  dust  of 
the  ground  ;  but  yet  in  Christ's  touching  him 
we  seem  to  have  conveyed  to  us  the  idea  that 
even  in  his  body  he  bears  in  some  way  the  divine 
image,  that  he  stands  by  himself  in  the  material 
order  of  creation,  and  that  he  holds  a  position 
of  special  nearness  to  God.  In  another  mosaic 
we  shall  see  how  expressively  these  ideas  are 
brought  out.  Beside  Christ  are  six  angels 
indicating  the  completion  of  the  sixth  day's 
work.  All  raise  their  hands  in  adoring  wonder 
and  praise  at  this  the  crowning  work  of 
God.  The  accompanying  text  is  :  Faciamus 
hominem  ad  imaginem  et  similitudinem  nostram 
(Gen.  i.  24-28). 


THE   CREATION  115 

(8)  Institution  of  the  Sabbath  (7th 
Day), — Nothing  could  be  finer  than  the  con- 
ception and  representation  of  the  Seventh  Day 
here  set  before  us,  nor  better  fitted  to  bring 
out  the  majesty  and  authority  of  the  Sabbath. 
Jesus  sits  enthroned.  Around  Him,  three  on 
either  side,  are  six  angels  robed  in  white  mantles 
from  head  to  foot,  with  their  hands  folded 
and  covered.  A  seventh  angel  kneels  before 
Christ,  who  has  placed  His  right  hand  on  its 
head.  The  creative  week  is  over.  Christ  is 
resting  "  from  all  his  work  which  he  had  made," 
and  he  is  blessing  and  sanctifying  the  Sabbath — 
Et  bene  dixit  die  septimo  (Gen.  ii.  1-3). 

(9)  Making  Man  a  Living  Soul. — The 
ideas  of  Adam's  nearness  and  likeness  to  God, 
which  we  saw  were  hinted  at  when  he  was  created, 
are  in  this  mosaic  clearly  and  strikingly  brought 
out.  Adam  once  more  stands  before  Christ,  who 
is  breathing  into  him  a  white-winged  spirit,  and 
he  is  no  longer  dark  coloured  but  white.  "  Who 
knoweth  the  spirit  of  a  man  that  goeth  upward, 
and  the  spirit  of  a  beast  that  goeth  downward 
to  the  earth."  Adam  has  received  the  upward 
spirit,  a  spirit  that  has  wings  to  mount  and 
soar,  to  keep  him  above  the  earth  whilst 
on  it,  to  make  him  move  in  thought  and 
affection,  in  purpose  and  action,  in  the  divine 


116  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

region  of  purity  and  goodness  ;  to  make  him 
rise  to  God  in  fellowship  of  love  and  service, 
and  to  cause  him  to  realise  that  in  this  his 
life  and  happiness  and  immortality  consist. 
There  is  no  doubt  that,  whether  or  not  we 
accept  the  evolution  theory  in  regard  to  man's 
physical  organisation,  there  came  a  period  in 
his  life  when  he  received  something  that  set 
a  gulf  between  him  and  the  lower  orders  of 
creation.  That  period  was  when  he  received  a 
moral  and  spiritual  nature,  when  he  was  made 
"  a  little  lower  than  the  angels,"  or,  more 
literally,  "  a  little  less  than  God,"  and  that  is 
the  period  indicated  here.  "  The  Lord  God 
breathed  into  his  nostrils  the  breath  of  life,  and 
man  became  a  living  soul."  Et  inspiravit  in 
faciem  ejus  spiraculum  vit<£  (Gen.  ii.  7). 

(10)  Placing  Man  in  the  Garden  of 
Eden. — This  subject  is  in  the  last  compartment 
of  this  zone.  There  is  a  covered  portal 
with  the  words  on  it,  in  letters  of  gold, 
^^  Porta  Paradisic  Christ  has  led  Adam 
through  this  portal,  and  holding  him  still  by 
the  arm,  is  showing  him  the  garden  which  He 
has  planted  for  him,  and  which  he  has  to  dress 
and  keep.  Conspicuous  amongst  the  wealth  of 
the  vegetation  of  the  garden  are  the  Trees  of 
Life,  and  of  the  Knowledge  of  Good  and  Evil, 


THE   CREATION  117 

to  the  last  of  which  refers  the  inscription  : 
Etiam  posuii  in  medio  faradisi  Ugnumque 
scientiie  honi.  Reclining  on  the  ground  are 
four  figures,  each  holding  a  vase  from  which  he 
pours  forth  water.  These  are  the  four  streams, 
into  which  the  river  of  Eden  was  divided  as  it 
entered  Paradise,  Pison,  Gihon,  Hiddekel,  and 
Euphrates.     (Gen.  ii.  8-17.) 

(11)  Adam  naming  the  Animals  {Third 
zone). — The  first  of  this  third  or  lowest  zone 
shows  us  Christ  again  sitting  enthroned.  Before 
Him  stand  Adam  and  a  great  company  of 
animals  in  pairs — lions,  horses,  camels,  bears, 
sheep  and  oxen.  Christ  has  brought  them  to 
Adam,  who  is  giving  them  their  names  and 
whose  left  hand  is  resting  on  the  head  of  a  lion. 
Above  the  mosaic  are  the  words  :  Appellavitque 
Adam  nominibus  suis  cuncta  animantia.  Perhaps 
we  may  see  in  Adam's  right  hand  pointing 
to  the  crowd  of  animals,  and  in  his  face  turned 
with  a  deprecating  expression  towards  Christ, 
an  explanation  of  the  words,  "  But  for  Adam 
there  was  not  found  an  help  meet  for  him " 
(Gen.  ii.  18-20). 

(12)  Christ  fashioning  Eve. — Hence  this 
mosaic  shows  us  Christ  fashioning  Eve.  It 
is  in  two  compartments,  in  the  one  Christ  is 
removing  a  rib  from  the  side  of  Adam  who  lies 


118  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

in  a  deep  sleep ;  and  in  the  other  he  is  fashioning 
"  an  help  meet  for  him  "  out  of  the  rib.  The 
inscription  runs  :  Cumque  abdormisset^  tulit  unam 
de  costis  ejus^  et  replevit  carnem^  pro  ea  et  adduxit 
earn  ad  Adam  (Gen.  ii.  21-25). 

(13)  Christ  presenting  Eve  to  Adam. 
— The  last  words  of  the  above  inscription 
explain  this  one,  which  shows  Christ  leading 
Eve  to  Adam,  who  has  extended  his  right 
hand  to  receive  her.     (Gen.  ii.  22.) 

(14)  The  Temptation. — This  next  mosaic 
represents  the  Temptation.  A  large  green- 
coloured  serpent  is  wound  round  a  tree,  beside 
which  stands  Eve.  She  has  her  hand  raised,  and 
is  evidently  replying  to  the  question  :  "  Yea, 
hath  God  said,  ye  shall  not  eat  of  every  tree  of 
the  garden } "  Adam  is  standing  at  some 
distance  and  is  looking  in  another  direction, 
apparently  ignorant  of  what  is  taking  place. 
Above  are  the  words,  Hie  serpens  loquitur  Ev^e^ 
et  decepit  earn  (Gen.  iii.  1-5). 

(15)  The  Fall. — Following  on  the  Tempta- 
tion comes  the  Fall.  In  this  mosaic  we  see  that 
Eve  has  plucked  the  fruit  of  the  Tree  of  the 
Knowledge  of  Good  and  Evil  and  is  eating  it. 
She  is  then  shown  giving  it  to  her  husband,  who 
also  eats  of  it.  The  inscription  is  :  Hie  Eve 
aecipit  pomum^  e  dat  viro  suo  (Gen.  iii.  6). 


THE   CREATION  119 

(i6)  First  Consequence  of  the  Fall. — 

Adam  and  Eve  have  lost  their  natural  innocence. 
An  inward  moral  deterioration  has  taken  place. 
The  corporeal  has  fallen  from  the  dominion  of 
the  spiritual.  They  have  had  their  eyes  opened 
to  see  evil  where  formerly  they  saw  none.  And 
so  Adam  is  represented  plucking  fig  leaves,  with 
which  he  and  Eve  are  covering  themselves. 
Hie  Adam  et  Eva  co-operiunt  se  foliis 
(Gen.  iii.  7). 

(17)  Second  Consequence  of  the  Fall. 
— The  second  moral  consequence  of  disobedience 
experienced  by  our  first  parents  we  find  portrayed 
in  this  mosaic — a  dread  of  meeting  God.  He 
who  rejoiced  "  in  the  habitable  part  of  his 
earth,"  and  whose  "  delights  were  with  the  sons 
of  men,"  is  walking  in  the  garden  and  calling 
Adam  and  Eve,  who  are  hiding  from  Him 
behind  trees  and  pulling  down  the  long  pliant 
branches  the  better  to  screen  themselves  from 
His  gaze.  Hie  Dominus  voeat  Adam  e  Evam 
latentes  se  post  arbores  (Gen.  iii.  8). 

(18)  Third  Consequence  of  the  Fall. — 
This  mosaic  shows  our  first  parents  trying 
to  justify  themselves  by  throwing  the  blame  of 
their  fall,  the  one  on  Eve,  the  other  on  the 
serpent.  Christ  as  before,  sits  enthroned,  and 
they    are    coming    towards  Him,  stooping  and 


120  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

trembling,  having  lost  their  confidence  and  their 
erect  bearing.  In  answer  to  Christ's  question, 
"  Hast  thou  eaten  of  the  tree  whereof  I  com- 
manded thee  that  thou  should  est  not  eat  ? " 
Adam  points  behind  him  to  Eve,  and  she  in  her 
turn  points  to  the  serpent.  The  inscription  is  : 
Hie  Dominus  increpat  Adam.  Ipse  mom t rat 
uxorem  fuisse  causam  (Gen.  iii,  9-13). 

(19)  Christ  judging  Adam,  Eve  and 
the  Serpent. — Christ  sits  enthroned  as  judge, 
"  mercy  and  judgment  the  foundation  of  his 
throne."  Before  Him  are  Adam  and  Eve  and 
the  Serpent.  The  attitude  of  our  first  parents 
expresses  contrition  and  humiliation.  They  are 
on  their  knees,  "they  blush  to  lift  up  the  face," 
and  their  hands  are  clasped  as  suppliants.  The 
serpent  on  the  other  hand  stands  unblushingly 
erect.  We  seem  to  hear  the  words  that  cast 
down  the  serpent  to  the  dust,  and  that  provided 
for  the  restoration  of  the  others.  Hie  Dominus 
maledieit  Serpenti  eum  Adam  et  Eva  ante  se  exis- 
tentibus  (Gen.  iii.  14-19). 

(20)  Christ  clothing  our  First  Parents. 
— In  this  mosaic  we  see  Christ  helping  our  first 
parents  to  reinstate  the  spiritual  in  its  lost  place 
of  dominion  over  the  corporeal.  He  has  made 
coats  of  skins  with  which  He  is  clothing  them. 
In  Christ  thus  clothing  the  body  to  ward  off 


THE    CREATION  121 

evil,  we  may  see  symbolised  His  clothing  the 
spirit  "  with  the  garments  of  salvation  .  .  . 
with  the  robe  of  righteousness."  Hie  Dominus 
vestit  Adam  et  Evam  (Gen.  iii.  27). 

(21)  The  Expulsion  from  the  Garden. 
— This  last  mosaic  of  the  series  is  a  double  one. 
First  there  is  a  Gothic  gateway,  with  the  words 
"  Forta  Paradisic  By  this  gateway  Christ  has 
expelled  Adam  and  Eve  from  the  garden,  and  His 
hand  is  still  resting  on  Adam's  shoulder.  Just 
inside  the  garden  are  two  trees,  suggesting  those 
of  the  Knowledge  of  Good  and  Evil,  and  of 
Life.  Between  them  is  a  sword,  at  the  foot  of 
which  is  a  glowing  centre  whence  flames  radiate 
in  all  directions.  But  the  very  form  of  the 
sword,  that  of  a  cross,  suggests  mercy  as  well  as 
judgment.  At  the  foot  of  the  trees  are  a  pelican 
and  a  phoenix,  the  former,  which  is  said  to 
nourish  its  young  with  its  blood,  and  the  latter 
to  rise  from  its  ashes,  here  symbolising  God's 
parental  love  for  man  whilst  chastising  him, 
and  the  promise  of  life  from  the  dead  through 
the  shedding  of  Christ's  blood.  The  second 
part  of  the  mosaic  shows  a  dark  gloomy  lands- 
cape. There  are  no  trees,  no  gladdening  streams, 
no  brightness.  There  is  a  steep  and  a  stony 
hill-side,  with  a  few  patches  of  grass  with  thorns 
and  thistles,  and  a  few  scrubby  bushes  on   its 


122  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

ridge  against  the  sky,  where  a  sheep  is  feeding. 
This  land,  so  expressive  of  the  moral  disorder 
and  deformity  of  sin,  is  the  scene  of  Adam's 
labours.  He  has  a  mattock  in  his  hand,  and 
bends  his  back  to  break  up  and  cultivate  this 
stony  hill-side,  while  Eve  sits  near  him  spinning. 
Hie  expellit  eos  de  Paradiso.  Hie  incipiunt 
lahorare. 

Below,  in  the  spandrels  of  the  cupola,  are  four 
burning  and  shining  cherubim.  Each  has  six 
wings.  With  two  they  cover  their  feet  in  token 
of  unworthiness,  two  are  raised  above  their  head 
in  token  of  reverence,  and  two  are  outstretched 
for  flight  in  token  of  obedience  and  readiness  to 
obey  the  behests  of  Christ,  their  king.  They 
represent  those  that  were  placed  in  the  Garden 
to  keep  the  way  of  the  Tree  of  Life. 

Hie  or  del  Cherubim^  Christi  fiammata  calore^ 
Semper  et  aterni  solis  radiata  nitore. 
Mystiea  slant  Cherubim  alas  monstrantia  senas^ 
Qjia  Dominum  laudant,  voees  promendo  serenas. 

(Gen.  iii.  22-24.) 


CHAPTER    II 
THE   HISTORY   OF   CAIN   AND   ABEL 

LUNETTES    UNDER    FIRST   CUI'OLA 

The  brief  sad  history  of  Cain  and  Abel  is 
inscribed  in  five  mosaics,  with  suitable  inscrip- 
tions, in  the  lunettes  under  the  arches  of  the 
Creation  cupola.  The  first  two  are  in  the 
lunette  over  the  inner  door  of  St.  Clement,  so 
called  from  a  mosaic  of  that  saint  set  above  its 
lintel. 

(i)  The  Birth  of  Cain  and  Abel.— 
This  first  of  the  series  is  a  double  one,  sym- 
bolically representing  the  increase  of  men  on  the 
earth,  and  the  birth  of  Cain  and  Abel — the  joy 
of  the  world's  first  mother  over  the  world's 
first-born  children.  The  inscription  is:  Cresite 
el  multiflicamini^  ct  repleti  ierram.  Hie  peperii 
((jen.  i.  28  ik  iv.  r,  2). 

(2)  The  Offerings  of  Cain  and  Abel. 
— In  the  centre  of  the  picture  there  is  an  altar, 


124  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

with  a  fire  burning  on  it.  Abel,  dressed  in 
green,  is  approaching  it  from  one  side  with  a 
lamb  on  his  shoulders,  and  Cain,  dressed  in 
darkest  blue,  from  the  other,  bearing  in  his 
arms  a  basket  of  flowers  and  fruit.  The  mosaic 
thus  brings  out  the  fact  of  Adam's  sons  having 
chosen  at  the  very  dawn  of  history  distinct 
occupations,  Cain,  like  his  father,  having  become 
a  tiller  of  the  ground,  whilst  Abel  was  a  keeper 
of  sheep.  It  also  shows  us  how  at  this  early 
time  these  men  had  the  idea  of  sacrifice  and 
offering.  Each,  too,  brought  a  gift  appropriate 
to  his  calling,  although  not  equally  acceptable 
to  God.  This  latter  fact  is  indicated  in  the 
mosaic  by  there  being  above  Abel  a  piece  of 
blue  star-spangled  sky,  from  which  projects  a 
hand,  which  symbolism  is  lacking  in  the  case  of 
Cain.  The  hand  is  that  of  Christ.  Let  it  be 
observed,  it  is  not  the  hand  of  God,  as  is 
generally  thought.  As  we  have  seen,  God 
the  Father  is  never  represented,  only  Christ, 
through  whom  God  manifests  Himself  in 
creation  and  providence.  But  after  the  fall 
there  is  no  more  tabernacling  even  of  Christ 
with  man.  He  is  no  longer  seen  in  bodily 
form,  walking  and  talking  with  him.  He  is  no 
more  beheld  rejoicing  "  in  the  habitable  part 
of  his  earth,"  and  having  His  "delights  with 


HISTORY  OF   CAIN  AND   ABEL     125 

the  sons  of  men."  Communication  is  still 
maintained  between  God  and  man,  but,  as  the 
result  of  sin,  a  change  has  taken  place  in  the 
mode  and  manner  of  it.  Henceforth,  instead 
of  that  blessed  personal  fellowship,  there  is  a 
more  distant  intercourse,  represented  by  the 
open  heaven  and  the  Divine  hand.  In  the 
reading  of  our  Old  Testament  we  shall  very 
frequently  meet  with  this  expressive  symbolism. 
The  text  of  this  mosaic  is  : 

Christus  Abel  cernit^ 
Kayn  et  sua  munera  spernit. 

(Gen.  iv.  t^S-) 

(3)  The  Wrath  of  Cain.  {In  lunette 
over  entrance  to  Cappella  Zen.) — This  is  a 
double  mosaic.  In  the  first  half,  Cain,  dressed 
as  before  in  blue,  is  shown  sitting,  leaning  forward, 
with  his  head  on  his  hand.  His  attitude  and 
expression  reveal  anger  and  displeasure  at  the 
acceptance  of  Abel's  offering  and  the  rejection 
of  his.  In  the  second,  Christ  has  called  to  him 
out  of  heaven,  and  he  has  risen  up,  and  stands 
under  the  blue  sky  and  outstretched  hand.  The 
arrangement  of  the  fingers  of  the  hand  here 
differs  from  that  where  Abel  was  communicated 
with.  There  blessing  was  symbolised,  here 
only  instruction.     The  inscription,  mutilated  by 


126  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

restoration,  is :  Iratusque  est  Cain  vehementer, 
Dixitque  Dominus ;  ^itare  iratus  esty  et  cur 
concidit  fades  tua  ?  (Gen.  iv.  5-7.) 

(4)  The  Murder  of  Abel.— This,  like 
the  last,  is  a  double  mosaic.  First,  the  two 
brothers,  dressed  as  before,  are  seen  leaving 
the  door  of  their  house  to  go  into  the  fields. 
Cain  carries  a  mattock  for  breaking  up  the 
ground,  and  Abel  has  a  shepherd's  staff.  Then 
we  are  shown  the  first  murder  and  the  first 
death,  so  sudden  and  so  premature.  Cain 
stands  over  Abel,  who  is  lying  on  the  ground. 
He  has  felled  him  with  his  mattock,  and  has 
it  raised  above  his  head  in  the  act  of  again 
striking.  Abel  has  raised  his  arm,  vainly  en- 
deavouring to  protect  his  head  from  his 
brother's  blows.  The  inscription  is:  Egre- 
diamur  foras.  Cumque  essent  in  agro  consurrexit 
Cain  adversus  fratrem  suum^  et  interfecit  eum 
(Gen.  iv.  8). 

(5)  The  Punishment  of  Cain.  {In  the 
lunette  opposite  the  door  of  St.  Clement.) — This  is 
the  last  of  the  series.  Christ's  voice  and 
presence  are  again  indicated  by  the  usual  piece 
of  starry  blue  sky  and  the  projecting  hand. 
Before  the  Divine  symbol  Cain  stands  arraigned. 
His  crime  and  punishment  are  indicated  in  the 
words  :    Dixitque   Dominus    ad    Cain,      ^id 


HISTORY  OF   CAIN   AND   ABEL     127 

fecisti  ?  Ecce  vox  sanguinis  fratris  tui  clamat 
ad  me  de  terra.  Dixitque  Cain  ad  Dominum  ; 
major  est  iniquitas  mea  quam  ut  veniam  merear 
(Gen.  iv.  9-15). 

The  narrow  arches  above  these  three  lunettes 
are  all  decorated  with  very  lovely  old  Byzantine 
scroll-work,  with  leaves  and  flowers  and  fruits. 
As  was  the  case  in  one  of  the  archivolts  of  the 
great  entrance  portal  to  the  church,  the  foliage 
is  made  to  spring  from  vases  and  plaited  basket- 
work  at  the  bases  of  the  arches. 


CHAPTER   III 
NOAH   AND    THE   DELUGE 

FIRST,   AND    EASTWARD   HALF    OF    SECOND,    VAULTS 

He  who  said,  "  Let  the  waters  under  the  heaven 
be  gathered  together  unto  one  place  and  let  the 
dry  land  appear,"  is  now  about  to  bring  a  flood 
of  waters  upon  the  earth  to  destroy  all  flesh. 
The  record  of  this  terrible  judgment  is  inscribed 
in  this  first  vault,  in  a  series  of  nine  mosaics. 
The  series  begins  on  the  west  half  of  the  vault 
above  the  beautifully  perforated  marble  screen 
that  encloses  the  tomb  of  the  Doge  Vital  Valier, 
who  died  in  1096. 

(i)  The  Building  of  the  Ark.— In  this 
first  mosaic  Noah  is  standing  in  an  attitude  of 
adoration  before  the  Divine  hand  which  points 
towards  him  from  the  starry  blue  of  heaven,  for 
"  the  hand  of  the  Lord  shall  be  known  towards  his 
servants."  He  is  being  warned  of  the  coming 
deluge,  and  receiving  instructions  in  regard  to 


Photo  by  C.  ^'aya 


ir.  H.  Hard  &■  Co. 


NOAH    HUILOIXG   AND    ENTERING 
THE   ARK 


p.  128 


NOAH   AND   THE   DELUGE  129 

the  building  of  the  ark.  Next  we  see  Noah, 
obedient  to  the  heavenly  vision,  carrying  out 
the  divine  commands.  A  busy  scene  is  set 
before  us.  Thick  tree  trunks  lie  about,  work- 
men are  sawing  them  up  here,  hewing  them 
with  axes  there,  or  transporting  them  from 
place  to  place  by  means  of  ropes  swung  from 
their  shoulders.  Another  set  of  men  are  engaged 
measuring  and  making  calculations.  Noah  is 
present,  giving  orders  to  an  overseer,  who  re- 
appears in  the  mosaic,  passing  them  on  to  the 
workmen.  Planks,  cut  and  dressed  and  ready 
for  use,  are  piled  up  in  the  background.  There 
is  thus  indicated  an  orderly  sub-division  of 
labour.  The  inscription  runs  :  Dixitque 
Dominus  ad  Noe :  Fac  tihi  arcam  de  lignis 
levigatis :  trecentorum  cuhitorum  erit  longitudo 
arcce :  quinquaginta  cubitorum  erit  latitudo : 
triginta  erit  altitudo  illius  {Q^n.  vi.  9-18). 

(2)  Noah  putting  Birds  into  the  Ark. 
— The  ark  is  finished,  and  is  here,  not  incorrectly 
we  believe,  represented  as  a  large  oblong  struc- 
ture framed,  not  to  sail,  but  simply  to  float. 
Its  window  is  placed  high  up  under  its  projecting 
roof,  and  the  door  is  "set  in  the  side  thereof" 
and  well  raised,  so  as  to  be  beyond  the  reach  of 
the  water.  Birds  are  the  first  creatures  to  be 
admitted,  and  it  is  noticeable  that  of  these,  the 

I 


130  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

peacock — the  bird  that  is  the  Byzantine  symbol 
of  eternal  life — is  the  first.  Noah,  stationed  by 
the  door  of  the  ark,  has  a  pair  of  them  in  his 
hands,  whilst  a  crowd  of  birds  of  lovely  plumage 
stand  in  pairs  and  in  sevens  before  the  ark,  with 
their  necks  stretched  towards  it,  as  if  eager  to 
enter, 

(3)  Noah  bringing  the  Animals  into 
the  Ark, — In  this  mosaic  we  see  the  admission 
of  quadrupeds  and  creeping  things,  Noah 
is  leading  into  the  ark  a  handsome  pair  of 
tigers,  and  serpents,  bears,  leopards,  oxen,  sheep, 
deer,  and  rabbits — the  clean  in  sevens,  and 
the  unclean  in  pairs — are  awaiting  their  turn. 
They  have  been  brought  to  Noah  for  this 
purpose,  as  they  were  brought  to  Adam  to 
be  named.  The  following  is  the  inscription 
written  over  this  and  the  preceding  mosaic,  to 
both  of  which  it  refers  :  Tulit  ergo  Noe  de 
animantihus  et  de  volucrihus  mundis  et  immundis^ 
et  ex  omni  quodmoventur  super  terram  duo  et  duo^ 
masculum  et  feminam  ;  et  Ingres  si  sunt  ad  eum  in 
arcam  sicut  pr^ceperat  ei  Dominus  (Gen,  vii. 
i-io), 

(4)  Noah  and  his  Family  entering  the 
Ark. — This  mosaic  shows  Noah  and  his  wife, 
his  three  sons,  Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth,  and 
their   wives,  standing  before  the  ark.     All  the 


NOAH   AND   THE   DELUGE        131 

animals  to  be  saved,  excepting  a  few  birds,  have 
entered  it.  These  Noah  is  admitting  prepara- 
tory to  the  entrance  of  his  family  and  himself ; 
when,  as  we  emphatically  read,  "  the  Lord  shut 
him  in  " — thus  shutting  all  else  out.  It  is  the 
last  day  of  probation  and  the  first  of  judgment. 
In  articulo  diei  ingressi  sunt  Noe,  Sem^  Cam,  et 
Ja-phet  filii  ejus,  et  uxores  filiorum  ejus  cum  eo  in 
arcam  (Gen.  vii.  13-16). 

(5)  The  Flood  with  the  Ark  on  the 
W^aters. — "  The  fountains  of  the  great  deep  " 
have  been  "  broken  up,"  and  the  "  windows  of 
heaven  have  been  opened."  The  rain,  indicated 
by  alternating  white,  blue,  and  dark  lines,  pours 
down  in  torrents.  All  land  is  engulfed,  all  life 
has  perished.  The  dead  bodies  of  men,  women, 
and  animals  fill  the  rising  waters.  In  the  dis- 
tance the  ark  is  seen,  floating  on  the  watery 
waste,  its  translucent  window  of  mother-of- 
pearl  gleaming  through  the  rain.  Above  is  the 
inscription  :  Factumque  est  diluvium  quadra- 
ginta  diebus  super  terram,  et  quindecim  cuhitis 
altior  fuit  aqua  super  omnes  montes,  cumque  con- 
sump  ta  esset  omnis  caro  super  terram  (Gen.  vii. 
17-24). 

(6)  The  Sending  forth  of  the  Raven 
and  the  Dove. — But  now  after  one  hundred 
and  fifty   days   the  windows    of   heaven   were 


1S2  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

stopped,  and  Noah  "sent  forth  a  raven  .  .  . 
to  see  if  the  waters  were  abated  from  off  the 
face  of  the  ground."  The  raven,  finding  footing 
and  food,  as  here  shown,  amongst  the  floating 
bodies,  "  went  forth  to  and  fro,  until  the  waters 
were  dried  up  from  off  the  earth,"  and  hence 
did  not  return  with  a  message.  Noah  is,  there- 
fore, represented  sending  forth  a  dove  on  the 
same  errand.  Holding  it  in  his  hands,  he  leans 
with  it  out  of  the  door  of  the  ark,  letting  it  go 
over  the  waters.  The  dove,  we  know,  "  found 
no  rest  for  the  sole  of  her  foot,  and  she  returned 
unto  him  into  the  ark."  The  text  is  :  Emisit 
Noe  columbam  (Gen.  viii.  6-9). 

(7)  The  Sending  forth  of  the  Dove  a 
second  Time. — After  a  week  the  dove  was 
again  sent  forth  from  the  ark,  and  it  is  seen  in 
this  mosaic,  returning  to  Noah  with  a  small 
twig  of  olive,  the  symbol  of  peace,  in  its  mouth. 
The  inscription  is  :  At  ilia  venit  ad  eum  portans 
ramum  oliva  in  ore^  et  intellexit  Noe  quod  cessas- 
sent  aquce  diluvii  (Gen.  viii.  lo-ii). 

(8)  The  Going  forth  from  the  Ark,  and 
the  Sign  of  the  Rainbow. — This  mosaic 
represents  a  scene  of  liberty,  joy  and  thanks- 
giving. The  waters  have  been  dried  up  from 
off  the  earth,  the  depth  has  again  been  laid  up 
"  in  storehouses  "  with  "  bars  and  doors,"  an4 


Photo  by  C.  JVaya 


THE   DELUGE 


;/'.  H.  Ware/ &■  Co. 


NOAH   AND   THE   DELUGE        133 

Noah  and  his  family,  in  obedience  to  the  divine 
command,  have  gone  forth  from  the  ark,  and  are 
giving  the  animals  their  Hberty,  A  great  tiger 
is  leaping  with  delight  on  the  rocks,  whilst  its 
mate,  which  Noah  is  helping  out  of  the  scene, 
seems  eager  to  join  it.  Deer,  rabbits,  sheep,  and 
other  animals  are  portrayed  enjoying  the  fresh 
grass  of  the  meadow,  and  doves  and  other  birds 
are  flying  about,  or  are  perched  on  the  roof  of 
the  ark.  Then,  completely  encircling  the  scene, 
in  a  great  sweep  of  brilliant  colour,  is  a  magni- 
ficent rainbow,  the  apex  of  which  cuts  across  a 
piece  of  clear  blue  sky.  It  is  the  token  of  the 
covenant  that  God  made  with  Noah  and  every 
living  creature,  that  "  the  waters  shall  no  more 
become  a  flood  to  destroy  all  flesh."  **And 
I  will  look  upon  it  that  I  may  remember 
the  everlasting  covenant."  Ponam  arcum  in 
nubibus^  et  erit  in  signum  fcvderis  ut  non  sint 
ultra  aqu^e  diluvii  (Gen.  viii.  15-19  and  ix. 
8-17). 

(9)  Noah  Sacrificing  unto  the  Lord. — 
The  first  recorded  act  of  Noah  on  quitting  the 
ark  was  an  act  of  worship,  that  took  the  form 
of  sacrifice.  And  so  this  mosaic  shows  an  altar 
built,  and  a  fire  burning  on  it,  and  Noah  ap- 
proaching it  with  a  dove  in  his  hand,  which  he 
is  about  to  offer  in  sacrifice.     As  Noah  "  took 


1^4  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

of  every  clean  beast,  and  of  every  clean  fowl 
and  offered  burnt  offerings  on  the  altar  unto 
the  Lord,"  the  words  of  the  text  are  :  Noe 
obtulit  holocaustum  'Domino  post  diluvium  (Gen. 
viii.  20). 

The  closing  scenes  of  this  chapter  are  on  the 
eastward  half  of  the  second  vault,  and  in  going 
to  it  we  cross  that  part  of  the  Atrium  which 
lies  between  the  outer  and  inner  main  doors  of 
the  church,  whence  through  an  opening  in  the 
roof,  called  the  pozzo^  or  well,  one  can  look  up 
into  the  west  vault  of  the  church.  Here  as  we 
pass  we  may  notice  in  the  pavement  the 
diamond  of  green,  red  and  white  marbles,  set  in 
the  centre  of  the  three  large  slabs  of  Verona 
brocatel  to  mark  the  spot  where  the  Emperor 
Frederick  Barbarossa  and  Pope  Alexander  III. 
were  reconciled  in  11 77.  The  mosaics  around 
the  inner  door  I  shall  describe  in  the  New 
Testament  part  of  our  Bible  to  which  they 
properly  belong. 

(10)  Noah  in  his  Vineyard.  —  The 
deluge  over,  we  read,  "  Noah  began  to  be  a 
husbandman,  and  he  planted  a  vineyard,"  pro- 
bably in  this  work  returning  to  his  former 
occupation.  In  this  mosaic  he  is  standing 
under  a  fruitful  vine  pressing  grapes  into  a  cup. 
(Gen.  ix.  20.) 


NOAH   AND   THE   DELUGE        135 

(ii)  The    Drunkenness    of    Noah. — 

Noah  not  taking  heed  to  himself  in  his  time  of 
leisure  and  prosperity,  more  perilous  than  his 
season  of  labour  and  responsibility,  becomes 
"  overcharged  with  surfeiting  and  drunkenness," 
"  filled,"  as  Habakkuk  says,  "  with  shame  for 
glory."  That  is  the  state  in  which  he  is  here 
depicted.     (Gen.  ix.  21.) 

(12)  Ham's  unnatural  Behaviour. — 
The  unnatural  conduct  of  Noah's  second  son. 
Ham,  is  the  subject  of  this  mosaic.  The 
following  undivided  inscription  has  reference  to 
these  three  last  mosaics,  Noe  post  exitum  arc<£  de 
deluvio  plantavit  vineam^  bibensque  vinum  inebri- 
atus  est^  et  nudatus  jacehat  in  tabernaculo  suo^  quod 
cum  vidisset  Cham^  pater  Chanaam^  verenda 
patris  sui  esse  nudata,  nuntiavit  duobus  suis 
fralribus  foris  (Gen.  ix.  21-22). 

(13)  Shem  and  Japheth's  dutiful  Be- 
haviour.— This  mosaic  exhibits  the  conduct 
of  Noah's  other  sons  in  contrast  to  Ham's, 
and  is  an  illustration  of  that  love  that  covers 
from  our  own  eyes  a  multitude  of  our  neigh- 
bour's sins.  Et  vero  Sem  et  Japheth  palium 
imposuerunt  humeri 5  suis  et  incedentes  retrorsum 
operuerunt  verenda  patris  sui^  faciesque  eorum 
aversce  erant  et  patris  virilia  non  vederunt 
(Gen.  ix.  23). 


136  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

(14)  Noah  judging  his  Son. — Here  the 

Patriarch  is  sitting  in  judgment  on  Ham. 
He  condemns  him,  through  Canaan  his  son, 
to  outward  material  bondage,  the  expression  of 
an  inward  moral  degradation  ;  and  he  blesses 
Shem  and  Japheth.  Evigilans  autem  Noe  ex 
vino^  cum  didicisset  qu^e  fecerat  ei  filuis  suus 
minor ^  ait :  maledictus  Chanaan  servus  servorum 
erit  fratribus  suis  (Gen.  ix.  24-27). 

(15)  The  Burial  of  Noah. — Noah,  we 
read,  having  lived  after  the  flood  three  hundred 
and  fifty  years  died  at  the  age  of  nine  hundred 
and  fifty.  This  mosaic  shows  his  burial.  His 
body,  wound  up  like  that  of  a  mummy,  is  being 
placed  by  his  sons  in  a  cave.  As  suggestive 
of  the  increase  of  population  that  had  already 
taken  place  there  are  present  two  groups  of 
mourners,  one  of  men  and  another  of  women. 
The  inscription  attached  to  this,  the  last  of  this 
series,  is  :  T)ies  autem  Noe  nongentorum  quin- 
quaginta  annorum^  et  mortuus  est  (Gen.  ix. 
28-29). 


CHAPTER   IV 

THE   TOWER   OF   BABEL   AND    THE 
DISPERSION 

SECOND  VAULT   (SECOND  HALF  WESTfVARD) 

Several  centuries  have  passed  away  since 
the  Flood  ;  the  descendants  of  its  eight  survivors 
have  increased  to  a  vast  multitude,  and  have 
travelled  away  eastward  from  Armenia,  and 
settled  in  the  wide  plain  of  Shinar,  or  Babylonia. 
They  have  reached  a  fertile  country,  well 
watered  by  the  Tigris  and  the  Euphrates, 
but  we  may  suppose  they  missed  those  old 
familiar  landmarks,  the  hills  and  mountains 
around  Ararat,  and  feared  to  be  dispersed 
and  lost  in  the  flat  far  stretching  plain.  There- 
fore they  said,  "  Go  to,  let  us  build  us  a  city 
and  a  tower,  whose  top  may  reach  unto  heaven, 
and  let  us  make  us  a  name,  lest  we  be  scattered 
abroad  upon  the  face  of  the  whole  earth." 
The  tower  is  designed  to  be  a  centre  of  union, 


138  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

strength,  and  honour,  but  it  turns  out  to  be  one 
of  dispersion,  dishonour  and  shame.  This  enter- 
prise of  world-wide  interest,  and  evil  consequence, 
is  related  in  the  two  mosaics  which  compose  this 
chapter.  They  are  on  the  westward  half  of 
this  second  vault,  above  the  tomb  of  the 
Dogaressa  Felicia  Michiel,  the  wife  of  the 
Doge  Vital  Michiel  I.,  who  died  in  i  loi.  The 
marble  screen  of  this  tomb  resembles  that  on 
the  other  side  of  the  entrance  but  it  is  com- 
posed of  older  sculptures. 

(i)  The  Building  of  the  Tower. — First 
we  see  the  massive  tower  in  course  of  erection. 
As  neither  stone  nor  lime  could  be  found  in 
the  plain,  we  read  they  "  had  bricks  for  stone 
and  slime  (bitumen)  had  they  for  mortar." 
The  tower  has  been  raised  high  above  the 
houses  of  the  city  that  cluster  around  and 
against  it.  Scaffolding,  in  the  form  of  an 
inclined  plane,  runs  zig-zag  from  its  base 
to  near  its  summit,  where  it  ends  in  a  platform. 
Some  workmen  are  on  the  platform,  others 
are  mounting  the  scaffold,  and  a  number  are 
at  the  base  of  the  tower.  One  man  on  the 
scaffolding  is  carrying  up  a  load  of  brick 
in  a  basin-shaped  vessel,  and  two  men  below 
are  filling  similar  vessels  with  bricks  and  mortar. 
Several   workmen   are   communicating  with  the 


Photo  by  C.  Naya 


li:  II.  Hard  &  Co. 


THE  TOWER  OF   BABEL 

and 

THE   DISPERSION 


p.  138 


THE   TOWER   OF   BABEL  139 

builders  above,  and  one  holds  aloft  a  bucket 
of  water.  All  the  men  have  their  coats  off, 
and  their  arms  bare,  excepting  one,  who  is 
evidently  an  overseer.  The  tower  has  narrow 
windows,  and  a  doorway  at  the  base,  in  which 
a  man  is  standing.  The  great  Campanile 
of  St.  Mark's,  though  not  finished  when  these 
mosaics  were  put  up,  was  advancing  towards 
completion,  for  it  was  begun  in  888,  and  so  it 
was  taken  as  the  model  for  this  tower,  thus 
imparting,  as  before,  a  piece  of  local  colouring 
to  the  picture.  But  now,  if  we  look  upward 
from  the  tower  to  the  blue  heaven,  far  above, 
which  these  proud  builders  sought  to  reach,  we 
see  a  figure  of  Christ  with  three  angels.  He 
holds  in  His  hand  a  cross-sceptre,  and  is  point- 
ing down  to  the  tower  and  its  builders.  "  God 
humbleth  himself  to  behold  the  things  that  are 
in  the  earth,  for  he  knoweth  vain  man,  he  seeth 
wickedness  also,  will  he  not  consider  ^  " 

(2)  The  Dispersion. — In  this  mosaic  we 
again  see  the  tower,  but  under  very  different 
conditions.  The  work  has  been  stopped.  The 
scaffolding  has  been  removed.  The  under- 
taking has  been  abandoned.  The  workmen 
had  begun  to  build,  but  were  not  able  to  finish. 
They  are  divided  up  into  four  groups,  which 
are  going  off  in  four  different  directions.     It 


1*0  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

would  have  been  natural  to  have  made  only 
three  groups,  to  correspond  with  the  three  sons 
of  Noah,  and  with  the  three  great  families  of 
languages,  Aryan,  Semitic,  and  Turanian  ;  but 
four  being  the  number  symbolical  of  perfection, 
brings  out  more  emphatically  the  thorough 
nature  both  of  the  confusion  of  tongues,  and  of 
the  dispersion  consequent  upon  it.  To  teach 
the  same  truths  the  leaders  of  these  four  com- 
panies are  looking  towards  each  other,  and 
pointing  in  different  directions,  as  if  each  were 
urging  the  other  to  come  his  way.  The 
explanation  both  of  the  confusion  of  tongues  and 
of  the  dispersion,  is  indicated  by  the  presence 
of  Christ,  with  a  host  of  angels,  standing  above 
the  door  of  the  unfinished  tower,  as  if  forbid- 
ding all  further  approach.  Further,  Christ's 
hand  is  raised  in  the  attitude  of  command,  and 
the  hands  of  two  angels  near  Him  are  spread 
out,  one  hand  over  each  group,  thus  preventing 
any  coalition,  and  also  controlling  the  direction 
each  shall  take.  Thus  these  men  go  forth  to 
people  new  regions  of  the  earth,  carrying 
different  gifts,  which  determine  for  them 
different  pursuits  and  callings.  The  inscrip- 
tion belonging  to  these  two  mosaics  is : 
Post  mortem  vero  Noe  discerunt  gentes^  venite^ 
faciamus  nobis  civitatem  et  turrim  cujus  culmen 


THE    TOWER   OF    BABEL  141 

fertingat  ad  ccelum.  duod  intuens  Dominus,  ait ; 
venite  vedere  civitatem  ed  turrim  quam  adificant 
filii  Adam^  et  dixii,  ecce  unus  est  populus  et 
unum  labium  omnibus^  venite  et  descendamus  et 
confundamus  linguam  eorum  ut  non  audiat  unus- 
quisque  vocem  proximi  sui.  Atque  ita  divisit  eos 
Dominus  ex  illo  loco  in  universas  terras^  et  cessa- 
verunt  ^dijicare  turrim  (Gen.  xi.  1-9). 


CHAPTER  V 

THE    HISTORY    OF    ABRAHAM 

SECOND    CUPOLA    AND    LUNETTES 

One  broad  zone  of  rich  mosaic  girdles  the 
second  cupola,  and  this,  together  with  what  is 
portrayed  on  the  lunettes  beneath  it,  form  the 
chapter  we  have  now  to  read.  Its  subject 
is  the  history  of  Abraham.  In  turning  to 
it,  we  turn  to  a  new  distinctive  chapter  in 
the  religious  life  of  the  world,  brought  about  by 
Abraham's  obedience  to  the  call  to  break  with 
the  idolatrous  polytheistic  worship  of  his  fathers, 
to  worship  the  one  God,  to  lead  a  life  of  faith, 
and  thus  to  become  the  father  of  that  nation 
which  was  destined  to  be  the  custodian  of  God's 
truth,  from  which  the  Messiah  was  to  spring,  in 
whom  all  the  families  of  the  earth  were  to  be 
blessed.  In  a  series  of  nineteen  mosaics  all  the 
chief  facts  in  the  life  of  the  patriarch  are  set 
before  us, 


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THE    HISTORY   OF   ABRAHAM      143 

(i)  The  Call  of  Abraham. — Gorgeously 
clad  in  white  and  gold,  Abraham  is  represented 
standing  alone  before  the  Divine  hand,  that 
points  towards  him  out  of  the  starry  blue  sky. 
Although  seventy-five  years  of  age,  he  is  pictured 
in  the  prime  of  life,  which,  considering  the  age  to 
which  men  attained  at  that  period  of  human 
history,  would  be  the  case.  His  attitude  be- 
speaks reverence,  earnestness,  and  devotion. 
He  realises  that  he  is  in  the  presence  of  "  the 
God  of  Glory,"  and  he  is  listening  to  the  voice 
that  commands  him  to  separate  himself  from 
his  country  and  kindred  and  his  father's  house, 
and  that  promises  to  bless  him,  and  to  make  of 
him  a  great  nation. 

(2)  Preparing  for  the  Journey.— Un- 
questioningly  and  unhesitatingly  Abraham  obeys 
the  call  ;  and  as  he  no  more  thinks  to  return  to 
Mesopotamia  than  his  descendants  long  after- 
wards thought  to  return  to  Egypt,  he  takes  all 
his  substance,  leaving  "  not  a  hoof  behind." 
Servants  are  busily  engaged  tying  up  bundles, 
and  slinging  them  across  the  backs  of  donkeys. 
One  man  in  making  his  bundle  fast  very 
characteristically  holds  the  rope  in  his  teeth. 
Abraham  superintends  the  arrangements. 

(3)  Abraham's  Departure.— Abraham, 
his  wife  Sarah,  and  his  nephew  Lot,  mounted 


144  THE    OLD   TESTAMENT 

on  white  horses,  are  about  to  set  out.  Their 
forerunners,  with  their  rods  in  their  hands, 
stand  ready  to  run,  "  to  prepare  the  way 
before"  them,  whilst  a  servant  has  his  hand 
on  Sarah's  stirrup.  A  retinue  of  servants  is 
seen  behind  ready  to  follow.  Above  these 
mosaics  are  the  words  :  Dixitque  Dominus  ad 
Ahram :  Egredere  de  terra  tua,  et  veni  in 
terram  quam  mostravero  tihi.  'Tulitque  uxorem 
suam  et  Loth  filium  fratris  sui  ut  irent  in  terram 
Chanaam.  Septuaginta  quoque  annorum  erat 
Abram    cum    egrederetur   de   Aran    (Gen.  xii. 

1-5)- 
(4)  God    appearing    to    Abraham    a 

second   Time. — The  journey  has  been  made, 

Abraham  has  gone  boldly  into  the  very  centre 

of  Palestine,   amongst  the  warlike   Canaanites. 

He  has  encamped  under  the  oaks  of  Moreh  at 

Sichem,    between    Ebal    and    Gerizim — places 

afterwards    so    famous    in    the    history    of    his 

descendants.        And    God    has    rewarded    his 

obedience     by    appearing    unto    him    a    second 

time,  and   assuring  him  that  though  he  was  a 

childless  stranger  in  the  land,  yet  he  would  give 

it  to  his  seed.     Abraham  is  seen  on  his  knees 

before  the  Divine  hand  in  the  blue  sky.     His 

hands  are  clasped  in  the  attitude  of  prayer,  and 

of  receiving  blessing.     It  is  noticeable  that  the 


THE    HISTORY   OF   ABRAHAM      145 

mosaic  workers  represent  him  receiving  this 
vision,  not  in  the  busy  camp  under  the  oaks, 
but  alone  in  the  solitudes  of  the  wild  moun- 
tains. 

(5)  Abraham's  Rescue   of  Lot. — The 
incidents  of  the   Patriarch's  sojourn  in  Egypt, 
his  separation  from  Lot,  consequent  upon  the 
quarrel  of  their  herdsmen,   the  vision  of  God 
with  which   he  was  then,  for   the  third   time, 
favoured,  are  all  omitted,  and  this  mosaic  shows 
us  Abraham,  at  the    head  of  an  armed  force, 
about   to  pursue    Chedorlaomer   and    the    con- 
federate kings,  for  the  rescue  of  Lot,  who  had 
been  taken  captive  by  them  in  Sodom.    We  know 
that  whilst  three  hundred  and  eighteen   spear- 
men, some  of  whom  are  here  represented,  were 
Abraham's  "  trained  servants,  born  in  his  own 
house,"  still  he  formed   for  this  enterprise  an 
alliance    with    three    brothers,    probably   petty 
princes,    Eshcol,  Aner,  and  Mamre,   in    whose 
oak  grove  he  was  now  encamped.     This  com- 
pact is  indicated  by  Abraham's  striking  hands 
with    one   of    the   princes.     To   the   right    of 
Abraham,   clad  in  red,  is  the   escaped   captive 
who  brought  him  the  news  of  the   disaster  that 
had   befallen    Lot.     In    the    distance    is    seen 
Abraham's  encampment.     Quite  recently  Pro- 
fessor Sayce  found  in  the  cuneiform  tablets  of 


146  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 

Tel-el-Amarna  confirmation  of  the  historical 
accuracy  of  this  invasion  of  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah  by  these  Babylonian  kings.  The 
inscription  accompanying  this  mosaic  is : 
Cum  audisset  Ahram  capum  Loth^  numeravit 
trecentos  decern  et  octo  expedites  vernaculos^  et  perse- 
cutus  est  eos,  et  reduxit  Loth,  et  omnem  substan- 
tiam  {Gtn.  xiv.  1-16). 

(6)  Abraham's  Meeting  with  Melchi- 
zedek. — Melchizedek  is  represented  as  a  priest, 
dressed  in  white,  standing  before  a  table  which 
is  covered  with  a  richly  embroidered  cloth. 
He  bears  in  his  right  hand  a  wine-cup,  and  in 
his  left  loaves  of  bread.  Abraham,  returning 
from  the  "  slaughter  of  the  kings  "  at  the  head 
of  his  victorious  band,  with  a  train  of  rescued 
captives,  meeting  Melchizedek  in  the  way, 
has  dismounted,  and  stands  before  him.  The 
"  priest  of  the  most  High  God "  presents  to 
him  the  bread  and  the  wine,  and  blesses  him. 
The  whole  scene  is  suggestive  of  the  Lord*s 
Supper,  and  that  this  was  intended  we  learn 
from  the  commentary  with  which  Abraham's  life 
is  summed  up,  and  which  by-and-bye  we  shall 
read.  As  we  saw  that  the  historical  accuracy  of 
this  expedition  is  confirmed  by  the  testimony  of 
the  Tel-el-Amarna  cuneiform  tablets,  so  do  they 
also   confirm    the    details    of    this    mysterious 


THE    HISTORY   OF   ABRAHAM      147 

meeting  with  the  priest-king,  which  many 
were  incHned  to  pronounce  mythical.  Over 
the  heads  of  Abraham  and  Melchizedek  are 
inscribed  their  names,  with  these  words  :  At 
vero  Melchisedech  Rex  Salem^  proferens  ■panem 
et  vinum^  erat  enim  sacerdos  Dei  altissimi,  bene- 
dixit  ei  (Gen.  xiv.  18-20). 

(7)  His  Meeting  with  the  King  of 
Sodom. — The  king  of  Sodom,  clothed  in  royal 
blue  with  a  crown  of  pearls  on  his  head,  meets 
Abraham,  and,  according  to  eastern  custom, 
asks  to  receive  back  his  subjects,  but  generously 
bids  Abraham  retain  the  spoils  of  war.  Abra- 
ham nobly  refuses  to  enrich  himself  by  keeping 
anything,  and  declares  that  he  had  taken  an 
oath  to  that  effect,  whilst  at  the  same  time  he 
desires  that  his  three  allies,  Mamre,  Eshcol, 
and  Aner  should  receive  their  portions.  The 
mosaic  shows  some  of  the  spoils  of  war  lying 
on  a  table,  and  the  wish  of  Abraham  being 
complied  with  in  the  case  of  the  three  princes. 
The  inscription  is  :  Dixitque  rex  Sodomorum 
ad  Abram :  Da  mihi  animas  et  c<£tera  tolle  tibi. 
Qui  respondit  ei :  Levo  manum  meam  ad  Do- 
minum  Deum  excelstim  possessorem  c^li  et  terr<£ 
(Gen.  xiv.  17,  21-24). 

(8)  God  again  appearing  to  Abraham. 
— Once   more   God,    in   the  person  of  Christ, 


148  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 

symbolised  by  the  Divine  hand,  appears  to 
Abraham,  ampHfying  and  ratifying  by  covenant 
the  double  promise  already  made,  that  he 
should  have  a  son,  and  that  his  posterity  should 
receive  the  land  of  Canaan  as  their  inheritance. 
On  the  occasion  of  this  vision  we  read  that  God 
brought  Abraham  forth  abroad  and  said,  "  Look 
now  towards  heaven  and  tell  the  stars  if  thou 
be  able  to  number  them  ;  and  he  said,  so  shall 
thy  seed  be."  To  suggest  this  similitude  the 
mosaic  workers  have  made  the  blue  sky  here 
larger  than  usual,  and,  instead  of  setting  in  it  a 
few  stars,  have  crowded  it  with  many,  and  of 
various  magnitudes.     (Gen.  xv.) 

(9)  Abraham  receiving  Hagar  from 
Sarah. — The  next  event  in  Abraham's  life  is 
Sarah's  expedient  to  help  forward  the  fulfilment 
of  the  divine  promise,  doubtless  urged  to  it  by  the 
fact  that  her  husband  was  eighty-six,  and  she 
seventy-six  years  of  age.  Abraham  stands  by  the 
door  of  his  chamber  receiving  Hagar  from  the 
hands  of  Sarah.  The  dark  eyes  and  hair,  and 
general  appearance  of  the  maid,  reveal  her  Egyp- 
tian origin.  Ingredire  ad  anctllam  meam  si  forte 
saltern  ex  ilia  suscipiam  filios  (Gen.  xvi.    1-3). 

(10)  Abraham  delivering  Hagar  to 
Sarah. — Again  we  see  Abraham  at  the  door 
of  his  chamber,  with  Sarah  and  Hagar.     After 


THE   HISTORY   OF   ABRAHAM       149 

Hagar  became  Abraham's  wife,  and  was  about 
to  become  a  mother,  Sarah  was  "  despised  in  her 
eyes,"  and  of  this  she  is  complaining  to  Abra- 
ham. Abraham  is  placing  Hagar  in  her  hands. 
(Gen.  xvi.  4-6.) 

(11)  The  Angel  of  the  Lord  appearing 
to  Hagar. — Hagar,  harshly  treated  by  Sarah, 
and  deprived  of  Abraham's  protection,  has  fled 
from  her  mistress,  probably  intending  to  return 
to  Egypt.  She  has  reached  the  wilderness  on 
the  way  to  Shur,  and  is  here  seen  sitting  under 
the  shadow  of  a  rock  which  projects  over  her, 
whilst  at  her  feet  a  fountain  of  water  bubbles 
up,  as  indicated  by  serpentine  lines  of  white 
and  blue.  Here,  as  she  is  seeking  rest,  shade, 
and  refreshment,  in  her  long  journey,  the  angel 
of  the  Lord  appears  to  her,  bidding  her  return 
to  her  mistress,  and  promising  her  a  son  who 
would  become  the  founder  of  a  great  people. 
Dixitque  angelus  Domini  ad  Agar  ancillam 
Sarai :  Revertere  ad  dominam  tuam  (Gen.  xvi. 
6-14). 

(12)  The  Birth  of  Ishmael. — Obedient 
to  the  heavenly  vision,  Hagar  has  returned  to 
her  mistress,  and  the  promise  made  her  of  a  son 
has  been  fulfilled  ;  Ishmael  is  born.  As  suggest- 
ing that  she  has  also  submitted  herself  to  her 
mistress,  Sarah  and  Abraham  are  both  present 


ISO  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

at  the  birth,  and  Abraham,  carrying  out  the 
angel's  direction  to  Hagar,  is  naming  the  child 
Ishmael  (God  is  hearing).  Thus  was  born 
that  man  whose  Arabian  descendants  bear  his 
free,  independent  character,  and  lead  his  wild, 
roving  life  to  this  day.  Peperitque  Agar  Abr^e 
jilium^  qui  vocavit  nomen  ejus  Ismael  (Gen.  xvi. 
15-16). 

(13)  God  again  appearing  to  Abra- 
ham.— Thirteen  years  had  passed  away  after 
the  birth  of  Ishmael,  and  Abraham  was  ninety 
and  nine  years  old  when  the  vision  of  God  here 
depicted  took  place.  The  Patriarch  stands,  with 
bent  knees,  and  with  hands  raised  in  the  atti- 
tude of  receiving  blessing,  before  the  Divine 
symbol  in  the  sky.  As  indicating  the  renewal 
of  the  promise  regarding  his  posterity,  the  sky 
above,  as  on  the  occasion  of  the  former  vision, 
is  crowded  with  stars.  At  this  time  Abram's 
name  was  changed  to  Abraham,  and  he  received 
the  rite  of  circumcision  as  a  token  of  God's 
covenant  with  him.  These  two  things  are  noted 
in  the  inscription  :  Dixit  Dominus :  Ne  ultra 
vocabitur  nomen  tuum  Abram  sed  Abraham. 
Dixit  iterum  Dominus  ad  Abraham :  Circumcidite 
ex  vobis  omne  masculinum  et  circumcidetis  carnem 
preputii  vostri.  Infans  octo  dierum  circumcidetur 
in  vobis  (Gen.  xvii.  1-22). 


THE    HISTORY   OF    ABRAHAM       151 

(14)  Abraham  circumcising  Ishmael. 
— Here  we  see  Abraham  obeying  the  divine 
command  regarding  the  seal  of  the  covenant 
just  given  him,  and  circumcising  his  son  Ishmael, 
now  thirteen  years  old.      (Gen.  xvii.  23.) 

(i  ^)  Abraham  circumcising  his  House- 
hold.— This  mosaic  is  the  last  of  the  series  in 
the  cupola.  Abraham,  having  circumcised  his 
son,  next  proceeds,  as  here  shown,  to  circum- 
cise himself,  and  all  the  men  of  his  household. 
All  this  was  done,  we  are  told,  on  the  self-same 
day  that  God  gave  him  this  covenant  token. 
(Gen.  xvii,  23-27.) 

(16)  Abraham  receiving  the  three 
Angels.  {This^  and  the  following  mosaic^  are 
in  the  lunette  over  the  inner  door,  which  has  a 
medallion  of  St.  Peter.) — As  the  Patriarch  sat 
in  his  tent  door,  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  under 
the  shade  of  the  oaks  of  Mamre,  he  saw  three 
strangers  approaching,  whom  he  rose  to  meet, 
and  to  offer  them  true  Eastern  hospitality. 
He  is  here  represented  prostrating  himself 
before  them,  inviting  them  to  rest,  and  to 
have  water  for  their  feet,  and  food  to  eat. 
(Gen.  xviii.  1-5.) 

(17)  Abraham  entertaining  the  Three 
Angels. — The  three  strangers  are  seen  sitting 
at  table  under  the  shade  of  a  large,  spreading 


152  THE   OLD  TESTAMENT 

oak.  Abraham,  having  provided  bread,  butter, 
milk,  and  meat  for  their  entertainment,  is  seen 
standing  waiting  upon,  and  conversing  with, 
them — in  all  this  showing  the  customary  courtesy 
and  generosity  of  an  oriental  chief.  Behind 
the  men  is  Sarah's  tent,  and  she  is  seen 
peering  through  the  curtains  of  its  door.  Her 
hand  is  raised  to  her  cheek,  suggestive  of  the 
incredulous  smile  that  came  to  her  as  she  heard 
it  said  that  the  next  year  she  should  bear  a  son 
to  Abraham.  The  inscription  over  this  and 
the  preceding  mosaic  is  :  Cum  sederet  in  ostio 
tahernacoli  sui,  apparuerunt  ei  ires  viri^  et 
adoravit  et  dixit.  'Tulitque  hutyrum  et  lac  et 
vitulum  quem  coxerat,  et  posuit  coram  eis^  et  ipse 
stabatjuxta  eos  sub  arbore.  Cui  dixit.  Reveriens 
veniam  ad  te  tempore  isto^  et  habebit  filium  Sara 
uxor  tua;  qu<£  risit  post  ostium  tabernaculi 
(Gen.  xviii.  6-15). 

(18)  The  Birth  of  Isaac,  {"this,  and 
the  following  mosaic^  which  closes  the  life  of 
Abraham^  are  in  the  lunette  above  the  door- 
window  which  looks  into  the  Piazza^ — At  the 
set  time  of  which  God  had  spoken,  "  the 
promise  was  fulfilled,"  and  Sarah  bare  Abraham 
a  son,  who,  with  reference  to  the  mother's  in- 
credulity, was  called  Isaac  (laughter).  In  the 
mosaic  Sarah  is  on  a  couch,  being  waited  upon 


THE    HISTORY   OF    ABRAHAM       153 

by  a  maid,  whilst  another  is  washing  the  child. 
The  inscription  is  :  Visitavit  autem  Dominus 
Saram^  sicut  promiserat^  et  implevit  qua  locutus 
est.  Concepitque  et  peperit  et  filium  in  senectute 
sua^  tempore  quo  pradixerat  ei  Deus.  Uocavitque 
Abraham  nomen  filit  sui  Ysaac  (Gen.  xxi.  1-3). 

(19)  The  Circumcision  of  Isaac. — As 
children  were  to  be  circumcised  when  eight 
days  old,  Abraham  is  here  represented  circum- 
cising Isaac  at  that  age.  Et  circumcidit  eum 
octavo  die,  sicut  preceperat  ei  Deus.  Cum  centum 
esset  annorum  (Gen.  xxi.  4,  5).  The  arches 
over  this,  and  the  lunette  just  spoken  of,  bear, 
like  those  we  noticed  under  the  creation  cupola, 
beautiful  Byzantine  scroll-work  decorated  with 
fruits  and  flowers. 

At  this  point  we  take  leave  of  tfee  life  of 
Abraham.  In  one  sense  it  is  not  complete,  for 
he  lived  yet  another  seventy-five  years,  yet  in 
another  and  deeper  sense  it  is,  for  with  the 
birth  of  Isaac  it  ends,  so  far  as  the  divine 
purpose  in  separating  him  from  his  country  and 
kindred  is  concerned.  The  carrying  forward 
of  that  purpose  is  now  bound  up  with  the  life 
of  Isaac,  and  of  his  descendants.  But  in  closing 
the  Patriarch's  life  the  mosaic-workers  have 
very  pithily  and  piously  written  up  the  gist  of 
its  meaning  round  the  window  between  the  two 


154  THE   OLD  TESTAMENT 

last  mosaics — Nos.  1 8  and  1 9 — in  these  words  : 
Signal  Abram  Christum^  qui  gentis  spretor 
hehraa^  transit  ad  gentes,  et  sibi  junxit  eas. 

Before  turning  to  a  new  chapter,  we  may 
notice  the  figures  of  four  prophets,  each  with  a 
scroll  in  his  hand,  on  the  four  spandrels  of  the 
cupola.  They  are :  Isaiah  (ch.  i.  2),  Filios 
enutrivi  et  exaltavi,  ipsi  vero  spreverunt  me; 
Jeremiah  (ch.  i.  2),  Annunciate  in  gentibus, 
et  auditum  facite^  levate  signum^  predicate  et 
nolite  celare ;  Ezekiel  (ch.  iii.  26),  Linguam 
tuam  adh^erere  faciam  palato  tuo^  .  .  .  quia 
domus  exasperans  est ;  and  lastly,  Daniel  (ch. 
X.  5),  Ecce  vir  cinctus  line  is  et  renes  ejus 
accincti  auro  obrizo. 

The  ancient  mosaics  on  the  narrow  vault  that 
separates  this  cupola  from  the  next,  may  be 
regarded  as  marginal  decoration  to  the  pages 
of  our  book.  On  the  top  of  the  arch  is  a 
figure  of  Justice,  with  a  pair  of  scales  in  her 
right  hand,  and  a  box  of  weights  in  her  left ; 
and  on  each  side  is  one  of  those  Syrian  "  pillar 
saints,"  or  "  Stylites,"  of  the  early  Christian 
centuries.  One  is  St.  Alipius,  and  the  other  the 
more  famous  Simon  the  Stylite,  who  lived  near 
Antioch  for  nearly  forty  years  on  the  top  of 
a  pillar,  sixty  feet  high  and  but  a  yard  square 
on  the  top. 


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CHAPTER   VI 

THE   HISTORY   OF  JOSEPH 

THIRD   CUPOLA 

What  is  true  of  many  manuscripts  is  especially 
true  of  St.  Mark's ;  the  material  is  precious  and 
the  space  limited,  and  therefore  contractions 
and  even  omissions  of  the  text  have  to  be  made. 
It  is  not  surprising,  then,  that  our  history 
makes  a  leap  from  Abraham  to  Joseph,  simply 
linking  the  two  together  by  mentioning  Isaac  in 
connection  with  the  former,  and  Jacob  with  the 
latter. 

(i)  Joseph's  Dreams. — The  history  opens 
by  showing  us  Joseph,  then  a  lad  of  seventeen, 
lying  on  his  couch,  his  head  resting  on  his 
hand.  Wrapped  about  him  is  his  coat  of  many 
colours,  which  marks  him  out  as  Jacob's  favourite 
son,  the  child  of  his  old  age,  and  of  his  well- 
beloved  Rachel.     His  coat  is  not  represented, 


156  THE   OLD  TESTAMENT 

as  it  often  is,  as  a  piece  of  bright-coloured 
patchwork,  but  as  a  tunic  of  blending,  changing, 
gold  and  red,  over  a  robe  of  blue.  Joseph  is 
asleep,  and  dreams,  and  what  he  sees  is  here 
portrayed.  First,  there  are  twelve  sheaves  of 
golden  grain.  One — that  nearest  the  sleeper  to 
show  that  it  is  his — is  erect,  whilst  the  other 
eleven  lie  prostrate  on  the  ground  before  it. 
Second,  there  is  above  Joseph's  head  a  crescent 
of  blue  sky  in  which  are  set  the  sun,  the 
moon,  and  eleven  stars.  The  inscription  is  : 
Hie  videt  Joseph  somnium  manipulorum  et  soils, 
et  lun^,  et  undecim  stellarum  (Gen.  xxxvii. 
1-12). 

(2)  Joseph  telling  his  first  Dream  to 
his  Brethren. — The  scene  of  the  dream-tell- 
ing is  the  open  field,  where  the  sons  of  Jacob 
are  feeding  their  sheep.  The  youthful  Joseph 
stands  before  his  eleven  brethren,  and,  with  his 
hand  raised,  simply  and  frankly  tells  them  his 
dream  of  the  sheaves.  The  brothers  stand  in  a 
group,  so  that  only  three  are  entirely  visible, 
whilst  behind  them  appear  the  tops  of  the  heads 
of  the  other  eight.  The  appearance  of  these 
three  is  not  prepossessing.  If  Joseph  has  not 
understood  fully  his  own  dream,  they  have. 
One  extends  his  hand  as  if  telling  Joseph  to 
cease  such  boasting,  another  has  raised  his  to 


Photo  by  C.  iXaya 


IK  H.  ]lard&-  Co. 


SIDE   ATRIUM 


p.  15ft 


THE   HISTORY   OF  JOSEPH         157 

his  cheek  in  mocking  laughter,  whilst  the  angry- 
look  of  the  third  seems  to  say,  "Wilt  thou 
indeed  reign  over  us  ?  "  Their  attitudes  and 
expressions  well  bring  out  the  envy  with  which 
they  regarded  their  young  brother.  Hie  Joseph 
narrat  fratrihus  suis  somnium  (Gen.  xxxvii. 
5-8). 

(3)  Joseph  telling  his  second  Dream 
to  his  Father  and  Brethren. — On  this 
occasion  the  aged  Patriarch  as  well  as  Joseph's 
brethren  are  present.  Jacob  sits  in  a  chair 
staid  and  dignified,  whilst  his  sons  stand  behind 
behind  him,  only  three  of  them  being  fully 
visible.  He  has  listened  to  the  dream,  how 
sun,  moon,  and  stars  made  obeisance  to  Joseph, 
and,  catching  at  once  its  meaning,  has  raised  his 
hand  as  if  rebuking  the  speaker.  All  alike  seem 
to  realise  the  dreams  to  be  supernatural  com- 
munications, foretelling  Joseph's  pre-eminence 
and  authority  over  them.  Through  this  channel 
we  know  God  often  manifested  His  will  to  His 
children,  "  In  a  dream,  in  a  vision  of  the  night, 
when  deep  sleep  falleth  upon  men  .  .  .  then 
he  openeth  the  ears  of  men,  and  sealeth  their 
instruction."  Whilst  Jacob  and  his  sons  alike 
feel  displeased  with  Joseph,  their  countenances 
have  very  different  expressions.  The  father's 
shows  thought  and  wonder — "  he  observed  the 


158  THE   OLD  TESTAMENT 

saying,"  the  brothers  reveal  the  ill-will  they 
feel  in  their  hearts.  The  inscription  is,  Hie 
pater  ejus  increpavit  eum  de  narratione  somnii 
(Gen.  xxxvii.  9-1 1). 

(4)  Joseph  at  Shechem  seeking  his 
Brethren. — Nothwithstanding  the  hatred  and 
envy  borne  towards  Joseph  by  his  brethren, 
neither  he  nor  his  father  suspected  them  of 
harbouring  any  intention  of  doing  him  harm 
and  so  Jacob  sent  him  from  his  home  in 
Mamre  in  Hebron  to  the  plain  of  Shechem,  a 
distance  of  forty  miles,  to  see  "  whether  it  be 
well  with  his  brethren  and  well  with  the  flocks." 
The  mosaic  represents  Joseph  dressed  as  a 
youthful  traveller,  and  wearing  his  coat  of  many 
colours,  with  a  crook  across  his  shoulder  and  a 
basket  hanging  at  the  end  of  it,  talking  to  a 
shepherd.  He  has  reached  Shechem  but  cannot 
find  his  brethren.  This  shepherd  informs  him 
of  their  having  gone  to  the  grassy  plain  of 
Dothan  (which  means  the  two  wells)  some  four- 
teen miles  further  north.  Hie  Joseph  missus 
erravit  in  agro  et  vidit  virum  unum  et  inter- 
rogavit  eum  de  fratribus  suis  (Gen.  xxxvii. 
12-17). 

(5)  Joseph  finding  his  Brethren  at 
Dothan. — Joseph  has  reached  Dothan  and  is 
nearing  his  brethren.     The   mosaic  represents 


THE   HISTORY   OF  JOSEPH         159 

ten  of  them  standing  in  a  field  with  their  flocks. 
They  have  descried  their  brother  in  the  distance, 
and  pointing  towards  him,  are  evidently  con- 
spiring to  slay  him.  Ecce  somniator  venit : 
occidamus  eum  (Gen.  xxxvii.  18-20). 

(6)  Joseph  cast  into  a  Pit. — Reuben, 
the  firstborn,  was  not  present  when  the  resolu- 
tion to  kill  Joseph  was  taken,  and  so  when  he 
"  heard  it "  he  said,  "  Shed  no  blood,  but  cast 
him  into  this  pit  that  is  in  the  wilderness,"  his 
intention  being  to  "  rid  him  out  of  their  hands 
to  deliver  him  to  his  father  again."  Reuben's 
counsel  is  followed,  and  here  we  see  the  brethren 
stripping  Joseph  of  his  coat  of  many  colours, 
the  badge  of  his  father's  special  love,  and  lower- 
ing him  into  a  pit,  or  dry  well.  The  mosaic- 
workers  have  here,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Tower 
of  Babel,  introduced  a  piece  of  local  colouring. 
They  have  put  a  Venetian  well-head  to  the 
pit,  thus  making  it  like  one  of  their  own 
wells.  The  site  of  Dothan  has  been  fixed 
in  recent  times,  and  the  two  wells  which  gave 
the  place  its  name,  have  been  identified. 
Hie  Joseph  mittitur  in  cisternum  (Gen.  xxxvii. 
21-24). 

(7)  Joseph's  Brethren  at  Table  see 
Ishmaelites  coming. — With  astonishment 
we  see  that  the  next  act  of  the  brethren  in  this 


160  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

tragedy  is  quietly  "  to  sit  down  to  eat  bread." 
The  mosaic  represents  them  reclining  around  a 
large  table  on  which  are  bread  and  pottage.  As 
the  great  highway  from  North  Gilead  to  Egypt 
passed  by  Dothan,  companies  of  Ishmaelites  and 
Midianites,  who  were  traders  as  well  as  shep- 
herds, were  frequently  travelling  by  it,  bearing 
thither  balm,  myrrh,  and  other  spices  of  that 
region  and  of  Lebanon,  as  these  drugs  were  in 
great  demand  for  the  embalming  of  the  dead, 
and  for  the  worship  of  the  temples.  One  such 
company  mounted  on  dromedaries  is  seen  in  the 
mosaic  approaching  from  behind  a  hill,  the  riders 
sitting  very  erect,  each  with  his  long  driving- 
stick.  The  words  belonging  to  this  mosaic  are : 
Comedentibus  fratribus,  viderunt  mercatores 
venire  (Gen.  xxxvii.  25). 

(8)  Joseph  drawn  out  of  the  Pit.— 
The  approach  of  the  Ishmaelites  has  suggested 
to  Judah,  the  third  eldest  son,  the  idea  of  selling 
Joseph  to  them  as  a  slave  rather  than  to  kill  him. 
"His  brethren,"  we  read,  "were  content,"  and 
so  here  we  see  Judah  and  two  others  drawing 
Joseph  out  of  the  pit.  Hie  extraxerunt  eum  de 
ci sterna  (Gen.  xxxvii.  26-28). 

(9)  Joseph  being  sold  by  his  Brethren. 
— Here  there  is  set  before  our  eyes  an  Eastern 
slave-market  on  a  small  scale.    Three  of  Joseph's 


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THE   HISTORY   OF  JOSEPH         161 

brethren  are  selling  him  to  two  Midianitish  or 
Ishmaelitish  merchants.  The  Arabs  are  tall  and 
swarthy,  and  their  calm,  erect,  and  dignified 
appearance  contrasts  with  the  eager,  excited, 
anxious  look  of  the  brethren.  The  former  are 
engaged  in  an  every-day  transaction,  the  latter 
are  committing  a  cruel,  unnatural  crime.  As 
their  desire  was  not  to  make  gain  of  Joseph,  but 
simply  to  get  rid  of  him,  the  Ishmaelites  were 
able  to  receive  him  at  the  nominal  price  of 
twenty  pieces  of  silver,  calculated  to  be  about 
three  pounds  sterling.  The  text  is,  Hie 
vendiderunt  Joseph  Hi smae litis  xx  argenteis 
(Gen.  xxxvii.  28). 

(10)  Joseph  on  the  Way  to  Egypt. — 
The  Midianites  have  started  for  Egypt  with 
their  purchase.  Joseph's  brethren  stripped  him 
of  his  coat  of  many  colours  before  putting  him  in 
the  pit,  for  they  wanted  It  in  order  to  stain  it 
with  blood  to  make  their  father  believe  that  a 
wild  beast  had  killed  him,  so  the  Midianites  have 
clothed  Joseph  in  a  long  red  tunic,  and  they  are 
represented  as  treating  him  kindly,  for  they  have 
set  him  on  the  back  of  a  dromedary.  What 
with  the  fatigue  of  the  long  journey  from 
Mamre  to  Dothan,  the  cruel  treatment  he  had 
received,  and  his  "  anguish  of  soul  "  in  being  so 
dealt   with,   he  was  probably  unable    to  walk. 


162  THE   OLD  TESTAMENT 

Besides  it  was  in  the  interest  of  these  merchants 
to  comfort  and  strengthen  him  before  present- 
ing him  for  sale  in  an  Egyptian  slave-market. 
The  caravan  is  seen  disappearing  behind  a  hill. 
The  mosaic-workers  have  written  up :  Hie 
ducitur  Joseph  in  Mgyptum  a  mereatorihus 
(Gen.  xxxvii.  28). 

(11)  The  Grief  of  Reuben.— After  Reuben 
had  seen  his  counsel  taken  as  to  putting  Joseph 
into  the  pit  instead  of  killing  him,  he  appears 
again  to  have  left  his  brethren,  and  so  to  have 
known  nothing  of  their  having  sold  him  to  the 
Ishmaelites.  He  is  represented  as  first  down  in 
the  pit  and  next,  finding  it  empty,  and  realising 
his  responsibility  as  the  eldest  of  the  family, 
crying  out  in  grief  and  despair,  "  The  child  is 
not,  and  I,  whither  shall  I  go  ? "  Hie  Ruben 
non  invenit  Joseph  in  ci sterna  (Gen.  xxxvii. 
29-30). 

(12)  The  Grief  of  Jacob.— The  last  mosaic 
of  this  cupola,  which  closes  this  first  portion  of 
the  life  of  Joseph,  shows  the  grief  of  Jacob  his 
father  at  his  loss.  The  sons  are  holding  up 
before  the  aged  Patriarch  Joseph's  coat  of  many 
colours,  stained  with  the  blood  of  a  kid  of  the 
goats.  Their  father  at  once  falls  into  the  trap 
they  have  laid  for  him,  and  exclaims,  *'  An  evil 
beast   hath   devoured  him,   Joseph    is   without 


THE   HISTORY   OF  JOSEPH  163 

doubt  rent  in  pieces."  He  is  represented  here 
throwing  up  his  arms  in  grief,  and  weeping,  re- 
fusing to  be  comforted.  Hie  est  denunciatio 
mortis  Joseph^  et  Jacob  pater  ejus  plorat  (Gen. 
xxxvii.  31-35). 

In  the  spandrels  of  this  cupola  are  the  half- 
figures  of  four  prophets,  each  bearing  a  scroll 
with  an  appropriate  motto  :  Eli,  with  the  words 
spoken  to  him  by  Samuel,  "  He  that  honoureth 
me  I  will  honour,  and  they  that  despise  me  I 
will  despise  "  (i  Sam.  ii.  30)  ;  Samuel,  with  his 
words  to  King  Saul,  "  To  obey  is  better  than 
sacrifice  ;  the  Lord  has  delight  in  goodness,  and 
not  in  sacrifice"  (i  Sam.  xv.  22)  ;  Nathan,  with 
the  words  he  spoke  to  David  after  the  death  of 
Uriah  the  Hittite,  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  the 
sword  shall  never  depart  from  thine  house. 
Behold  I  will  raise'  up  evil  against  thee  out  of 
thine  own  house"  (2  Sam.  xii.  lo-ii);  and 
Habakkuk,  with  the  words,  "Thou  hast  ordained 
them  for  judgment,  and  established  them  for 
correction,"  ch.  i.  12,  which  words  were  through 
ignorance  substituted,  when  the  mosaic  was 
restored,  for  those  of  the  fifth  verse  of  the  same 
chapter,  "  Behold  ye  among  the  heathen,  and 
regard  and  wonder,  and  be  astonished,  for  I  will 
work  a  work  in  your  days  which  ye  will  not 
believe,  though  it  be  told  you." 


164  THE   OLD  TESTAMENT 

In  the  lunette  over  the  door  of  St.  Aliplus, 
leading  out  of  the  atrium  into  the  Piazza,  are 
two  mosaics,  the  one  of  two  peacocks  drinking 
out  of  a  fountain,  and  the  other  of  two  herons 
pecking  at  the  fruit  of  the  Tree  of  Life,  symboli- 
cally representative  of  eternal  life  through 
regeneration.  The  arch  above  this  lunette,  like 
all  the  others  of  the  same  kind,  is  beautifully 
decorated.  Li  the  apse  above  the  tomb  of  the 
Doge,  Bartolomeo  Gradenigo  (1342),  is  a 
modern  mosaic  of  the  Judgment  of  Solomon, 
which  is  bad  alike  in  conception  and  execution. 
It  is  by  Vincenzo  Bianchini  (1538)  from  cartoons 
by  Sansovino,  or  Salviati.  On  the  apex  of  the 
narrow  vault  between  this  cupola  and  the  next  is 
a  fine  old  mosaic  of  Charity,  clothed  as  a  sove- 
reign, holding  in  her  right  hand  a  palm  branch, 
and  in  her  left  a  lily.  Below  this  figure  are  two 
large  ones  of  St.  Phocas  and  St.  Christopher. 
The  former  is  usually  spoken  of  as  the  martyr 
gardener  of  Sinope  in  Pontus,  but  the  Venetians 
here  more  correctly  represent  him  as  a  sailor, 
carrying  a  rudder.  The  inscription  on  the  edge 
of  the  vault  referring  to  these  mosaics  is  : 

Radix  omnium  bonorum  charitas. 
Cristophori  sancti  speciem  quicumque  tuetur^ 
Illo  namque  die  nullo  languore  tenetur. 


CHAPTER   VII 

THE   HISTORY    OF   JOSEPH   {continued) 
FOURTH  CUPOLA,  SPANDRELS,  LUNETTE,  AND  APSE 

Passing  to  the  next  cupola,  we  find  portrayed 
in  it,  and  on  the  lunettes  under  it,  the  next 
chapter  of  the  Old  Testament,  which  is  a  con- 
tinuation of  the  history  of  Joseph. 

(i)  Joseph  sold  to  Potiphar. — As  Joseph 
was  "  a  goodly  person  "  a  market  was  readily 
found  for  him  in  Egypt.  Potiphar  {pet-pa-ra, 
belonging  to  the  sun),  evidently  a  man  of  noble 
birth  and  of  wealth,  captain  of  King  Pharaoh's 
body-guard,  became  his  purchaser.  The  buying 
and  selling  is  here  shown.  It  takes  place  at  the 
porch  of  Potiphar's  house,  a  porch  that,  with  its 
carved  beams,  fluted  and  spiral  columns  with 
sculptured  bases  and  capitals,  and  with  its  double 
roof,  suggests  a  lordly  dwelling.  Potiphar  is 
robed  in  a  blue  tunic,  and  attended  by  two 
soldiers  who  carry  long  spears  and  broad  shields 
and  wear  helmets.     The  youthful  Joseph  stands 


166  THE   OLD  TESTAMENT 

before  him,  with  a  frank  but  perplexed  counten- 
ance, stretching  out  his  arms  as  if  appeahng  for 
help.  Behind  him  stand  the  Ishmaelites,  one  of 
whom  has  his  hands  on  Joseph  as  if  holding  him 
erect,  and  pushing  him  forward,  eager  to  have 
him  sold.  Potiphar  is  about  to  lay  his  right 
hand  on  Joseph's  shoulder,  showing  that  he  has 
not  only  consented  to  purchase  him,  but  that  he 
feels  well  disposed  towards  him.  He  doubtless 
saw  that  Joseph  was  no  common  slave.  Above 
the  mosaic  are  the  words.  Hie  Hismaelit^  ven- 
dunt  Joseph  Putiphar  eunucho  Pharaonis  in 
Mgypto  (Gen.  xxxvii.  ^^^  and  xxxix.  i). 

(2)  Joseph  made  Overseer  in  Poti- 
phar's  House. — Illustrating  the  truth  that 
no  position,  however  obscure,  and  no  duties, 
however  humble,  can  hide  true  greatness  and 
goodness,  Joseph's  character  and  ability  soon 
attracted  the  attention  of  his  master,  and  pro- 
cured him  rapid  advancement.  He  who  "  was 
separated  from  his  brethren  "  and  friends,  was 
soon  seen  to  have  with  him  the  best  of  all 
friends.  Potiphar,  like  his  sovereign,  who  was 
in  all  probability  Apept,  the  last  of  the  Shepherd 
kings  {Hyksos,  from  Hyk^  a  king,  and  sos,  a 
nomadic  people),  worshipped,  or  at  least  had 
the  knowledge  of,  Jehovah,  and  so  we  read  that 
he  "  saw  that  Jehovah  was  with  him,  and  that 


Photo  by  C.  Naya 


ir.  H.  Hard &■  Co. 


JOSEPH  AS  POTIPHARS  SERVANT 
(Atrium,  Fourth  Cupola) 


p.  i66 


THE   HISTORY  OF  JOSEPH        167 

the  Lord  made  all  that  he  did  to  prosper  in  his 
hand."  He  therefore  made  him  overseer,  or 
steward,  of  his  house  and  estates.  "  Faithful 
over  a  few  things,"  he  made  him  "  ruler  over 
many  things."  This  is  the  subject  of  this 
mosaic.  Potiphar  sits  in  a  throne-like  chair, 
with  a  gay  cushion  for  a  footstool.  Before  him 
stands  Joseph,  to  whom  he  is  giving  a  bunch  of 
keys,  thus  committing  everything  to  his  care. 
Behind  Potiphar,  in  the  doorway  of  a  curtained 
chamber,  stands  a  young  woman,  handsomely 
dressed  in  a  green  robe,  her  hair  flowing  behind 
her.  It  is  his  wife,  destined  to  play  such  a 
dishonourable  part  in  Joseph's  history.  Hie 
Eunuchus  tradit  omnia  bona  sua  in  ■potestate 
Joseph  (Gen.  xxxix.  2-4). 

(3)  Joseph  tempted  by  Potiphar's 
Wife. — The  wife  of  Potiphar,  who  has  so 
much  power  in  her  hand  either  for  Joseph's 
help  or  hurt,  becomes  his  temptress.  She  is 
here  represented  talking  to  him  in  the  porch  of 
the  house.  Joseph,  throwing  all  interest  aside, 
has  raised  his  hand  as  if  determinately  refusing 
her  request.  The  words  attached  explain  the 
situation  :  Hie  dicit  uxor  Putiphar  Joseph 
dormi  meeum  (Gen.  xxxix.  7-9). 

(•4)  Joseph  flying  from  Potiphar's 
Wife. — This  mosaic  shows  not  the  outer  door 


168  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 

of  the  house,  but  the  inner  door  of  a  chamber, 
out  of  which  Joseph  has  just  fled,  pursued  by 
Potiphar's  wife.  She,  with  a  countenance 
expressive  of  disappointment  and  chagrin,  has 
stopped  on  the  threshold,  beyond  which  she 
cannot  go,  as  in  her  importunity  she  has  thrown 
off  her  green  dress.  In  her  eagerness  however 
to  detain  Joseph  she  has  clutched  in  both  hands 
his  tunic.  He,  protesting  with  raised  hand  as 
before,  escapes,  leaving,  we  know,  his  garment 
in  her  hand.  Hie  Joseph,  relicto  pallio  in  manu 
mulieris,  fugit  (Gen,  xxxix.  11-12). 

(5)  Joseph  falsely  accused  before  his 
Fellow  Servants. — Passion  soon  changes  to 
hate.  The  disappointed  temptress  gathers 
round  her  the  men-servants  and  maid-servants 
of  the  house,  and  holding  up  Joseph's  garment, 
falsely  accuses  him  before  them  of  the  very  sin 
he  refused  at  her  solicitation  to  commit.  Still 
further  to  lessen  his  authority  over  them,  and 
to  incite  them  against  him,  she  maliciously 
brings  forward  his  Jewish  extraction.  Hie 
muUer,  videns  se  delusam,  ostendii  pallium  Joseph 
omnibus  de  domo  sua  (Gen,  xxxix.  13-15). 

(6)  Joseph  falsely  accused  before  his 
Master  and  imprisoned. — Having  accused 
Joseph  before  the  servants,  Potiphar's  wife 
next  accuses  him  to  his  master,  producing  in 


THE   HISTORY  OF  JOSEPH         169 

evidence  the  garment,  which  she  had  "  laid  up, 
until  his  lord  came  home."  Potiphar,  naturally 
believing  his  wife's  story,  has  summoned  Joseph 
into  his  presence,  and  taking  from  him  his 
keys,  and  stripping  him  of  his  robe  of  office, 
has  handed  him  over  to  two  of  his  soldiers  to 
convey  him  to  the  king's  prison,  which  adjoined 
his  own  house.  Joseph  seems  in  vain  to  be 
protesting  his  innocence.  Hie  PuHphar  ponit 
Joseph  in  car  cere  (Gen.  xxxix.  16-20). 

(7)  Pharaoh  imprisons  his  chief 
Butler  and  chief  Baker. — King  Pharaoh, 
arrayed  in  gorgeous  robes,  is  represented  sitting 
on  his  throne  with  his  crown  on  his  head  and 
his  sceptre  in  his  hand.  Behind  his  throne 
stands  Potiphar,  awaiting  his  commands.  Before 
him,  in  the  charge  of  soldiers,  are  his  chief 
butler  and  chief  baker,  or,  more  correctly,  his 
cup-bearer  and  his  master-cook.  Pharaoh, 
personally,  has  charged  them  with  misconduct 
towards  him,  and,  having  had  them  bound 
together,  is  consigning  them  to  Potiphar  that 
they  may  be  put  in  prison.  Previous  to  this 
the  "  keeper  of  the  prison  "  had  committed  all 
the  affairs  of  the  prison  into  Joseph's  hands, 
because  he  saw  that  "  the  Lord  was  with  him, 
and  that  which  he  did,  the  Lord  made  it  to 
prosper,"  and  so  now  we  are  told,  in  regard  to 


170  THE   OLD  TESTAMENT 

the  butler  and  baker,  that  "  the  Captain  of  the 
Guard  charged  Joseph  with  them."  Thus 
Joseph  must  have  been  reinstated  in  Potiphar's 
confidence.  Hie  Pharao  juhet  poni  in  carcere 
pincernam  et  pistorem  (Gen.  xl.  1-4). 

(8)  The  Butler  and  Baker  dreaming. 
— Here  two  men  are  lying  upon  curious  shell- 
shaped  mattresses,  asleep  and  dreaming.  Their 
dreams  naturally  associate  themselves  with  their 
callings.  Beside  the  butler  grows  a  vine  with 
three  branches,  laden  with  ripe  clusters  of  grapes. 
The  preceding  stages  of  budding  and  blossom- 
ing, which  he  saw  in  his  dream,  are  also  here 
indicated.  The  butler  has  pulled  down  the 
lowest  branch  towards  him,  and  is  pressing  into 
Pharaoh's  cup  the  juice  of  a  large  bunch  of 
grapes.  The  baker  is  represented  with  three 
flat  open  baskets  made  of  plaited  rushes  or 
palm-fibre  on  his  head.  They  are  full  of  small 
white  bake-meats.  A  bird,  like  a  raven,  has 
alighted  on  the  uppermost  basket  and  is  pecking 
at  its  contents.  Another  bird,  hovering  over 
the  basket,  does  the  same,  whilst  a  third, 
perched  on  a  branch  of  the  vine,  is  eating  the 
cakes  in  the  second  basket.  Perhaps  the 
dreams  also  give  a  clue  to  the  nature  of  the 
charges  for  which  these  men  suffer  imprison- 
ment, namely,  an  attempt  to  poison  Pharaoh. 


THE   HISTORY   OF  JOSEPH         171 

Hie  pincerna  et  pis  tor  existentes  in  carcere  vident 
somnia  (Gen.  xl.  5-1 1  and  16-17). 

(9)  Joseph  interprets  their  Dreams.— 
In  the  discharge  of  his  prison  duties  Joseph,  as 
here  represented,  visits  in  the  morning  the 
butler  and  the  baker.  Quick  to  notice  any 
change  in  their  appearance,  because  full  of 
human  sympathy,  he  asked  them,  "  Wherefore 
look  ye  so  sadly  to-day } "  They  answered 
"We  have  dreamed  a  dream,  and  there  is  no 
interpreter  of  it."  Joseph,  realising  that  the 
presence  of  God  was  with  him,  said,  "  Do 
not  interpretations  belong  to  God }  Tell  me 
them,  I  pray  you."  They  comply,  and  Joseph 
gives  them  the  interpretation,  their  faces  as  they 
listen  expressing  intense  interest  and  amaze- 
ment. Hie  Joseph  interpretatus  est  pineerna  et 
pistori  somnia  qu^e  viderunt  (Gen.  xl.  6-19). 

(10)  The  Butler's  Dream  fulfilled. 
{T^his  and  the  following  three  mosaics  are  in  the 
spandrels  of  the  cupola.^ — Joseph's  interpretation 
of  the  butler's  dream  was  a  joyful  one  for  the 
dreamer.  He  told  him  that  the  three  branches 
of  the  vine  signified  three  days,  and  that  within 
that  time  he  would  be  restored  to  his  butlership 
again.  The  third  day  was  Pharaoh's  birthday, 
when  he  made  a  feast  to  all  his  servants.  This 
was  an  occasion  that  naturally  brought  to  his 


172  THE   OLD  TESTAMENT 

mind  the  cases  of  his  two  servants,  and  for- 
giving his  butler  he  sent  for  him  out  of  prison, 
as  Joseph  had  said.  The  mosaic  represents  the 
birthday  feast,  and  the  reinstated  butler  bearing 
on  a  tray  a  flagon  of  wine  and  a  cup,  which  he 
is  about  to  present  to  Pharaoh.  Hie  Pharao 
restituit  pincernam  in  officium  suum  (Gen.  xl. 
20-21). 

(11)  The  Baker's  Dream  fulfilled.— 
Joseph  told  the  chief  baker  that  the  same  day 
that  would  see  the  butler  once  more  "  delivering 
Pharaoh's  cup  into  his  hand,"  would  see  him 
hanged  on  a  tree,  and  the  birds  eating  his  flesh 
from  off  him.  Here  we  have  the  fulfilment  of 
his  words.  To  a  tree-cross  the  baker  is  affixed, 
by  his  arms  being  passed  over  the  transverse 
beam,  and  being  pinned  behind  him.  The  birds 
he  saw  in  his  dream  are  devouring  him.  Hie 
Pharao  pistorem  feeit  suspendi  in  patibulo  (Gen. 
xl.   22). 

(12)  Pharaoh  asleep  and  dreaming. 
— On  a  gorgeous  canopied  couch,  Pharaoh  is 
portrayed  lying  in  a  half  reclining  posture,  with 
his  head  resting  on  his  hand.  He  is  asleep, 
and  to  him,  as  to  his  servants,  in  visions  of  the 
night,  the  veil  that  hides  the  future  is  drawn 
aside,  and  he  sees  in  symbol  what  is  shortly  to 
come  to  pass.     (Gen.  xli.  i.) 


THE    HISTORY   OF   JOSEPH  ITS 

(13)  Pharaoh's  Dream  regarding  the 
Kine. — Pharaoh's  dreams  connect  themselves 
with  the  Nile,  upon  which  depends  the  fertility 
of  the  land,  and  the  prosperity  of  his  kingdom. 

"  For  in  thy  title,  and  in  nature's  truth, 
Thou  art,  and  makest  Egypt." 

The  river  is  represented  by  broad  irregular 
white  lines  on  a  blue  ground.  It  is  full  of  fish, 
which  are  all  shown,  curiously  enough,  swim- 
ming across  the  stream.  Out  of  the  river  have 
come  seven  fat,  sleek,  kine,  which  are  feeding 
abreast  on  the  green  flowery  bank.  Behind 
them,  half  in  the  water  and  half  out  of  it,  are 
coming  up  seven  others,  ill-favoured  and  lean, 
with  their  ribs  all  sticking  out,  which,  seizing  on 
the  flanks  of  the  others,  are  eating  them.  Hie 
Pharao  vidit  per  somnium  sepem  boves  ■pingues 
et  septem  made  confectas^  et  macra  devoraverunt 
pingues  (Gen.  xh.  2-4). 

(14)  Pharaoh's  Dream  regarding  the 
Ears  of  Corn.  {T'his  mosaic^  and  Nos.  15 
and  16,  are  in  lunette  to  right  hand.) — A  second 
time  we  see  the  king  asleep  and  dreaming. 
Before  him  are  seven  strong,  full,  golden- 
coloured  ears  of  corn,  not  on  one  stalk,  however, 
as  they  ought  to  have  been,  but  each  growing 
separately.  Beside  them  are  other  seven,  dwarfed, 


174  THE   OLD  TESTAMENT 

blackened,  and  "blasted  with  the  east  wind," 
which,  we  read,  "  devoured  the  seven  rank  and 
full  ears."  Hie  Pharao  vidii  per  somnium  septem 
spieas  in  eulmo  uno  plenas  et  formosas^  et  alias 
septum  spieas  tenues  et  vacuas,  qu<e  devoraverunt 
priores  plenas  (Gen.  xli.  5-7)- 

(15)  Pharaoh  and  his  Magicians. — 
As  Pharaoh's  servants  were  troubled  by  their 
dreams,  so  is  the  king  by  his,  and  he  is  shown 
sitting  crowned  and  sceptred,  but  with  a  per- 
plexed countenance,  which  discloses  a  troubled 
mind.  Before  him  stand  the  magicians,  and  the 
wise  men  of  Egypt,  to  whom  he  is  relating  his 
dreams,  charging  them  to  interpret  them.  They, 
in  their  turn,  look  troubled  and  confused,  and 
the  one  who  answers  Pharaoh  spreads  forth  his 
hands  in  utter  blankness.  Strange  that  the  river 
Nile,  with  which  the  dreams  connect  themselves, 
did  not  suggest  a  solution.  Hie  Pharao  qu^rit 
interpretationem  somniorum  a  sapientibus  suis 
(Gen.  xli.  8.) 

(16)  The  Butler  tells  Pharaoh  of 
Joseph. — Two  long  years  have  passed  away 
since  the  butler  came  out  of  prison,  but  during 
all  that  time  he  did  nothing  for  Joseph,  his 
benefactor.  But  now  his  royal  master's  trouble 
in  regard  to  his  dreams  recalls  the  past,  and  he, 
as   here   portrayed,   tells   Pharaoh    of  Joseph's 


THE    HISTORY   OF   JOSEPH  175 

having  interpreted  correctly  the  dreams  of 
himself  and  the  baker.  Hie  pncerna  dicit 
Pharaoni  qualiter  Joseph  dixerat  sibi^  et  pistori 
eventum  somniorum  suorum  (Gen.  xli.  9-13). 

(17)  Joseph  interprets  to  Pharaoh 
his  Dreams. — This  mosaic  is  in  the  apse  of 
the  recess  over  the  beautiful  old  Latin  sarco- 
phagus, composed  of  bas-reliefs  of  the  sixth 
century,  of  Christ,  the  Apostles,  and  other 
figures,  which  contains  the  body  of  the  Doge 
Marino  Marosini,  who  died  in  1253.  It  is  a 
modern  mosaic,  made  from  the  cartoons  of 
Pietro  Vecchia,  and  very  unworthily  fills  the 
place  of  the  original  Byzantine  one.  King 
Pharaoh  is  seen  sitting  on  his  throne,  with  his 
magicians,  wise  men,  guards,  and  servants 
around.  Contrasting  with  the  councillors  of 
the  King,  who  are  represented  as  very  old,  stands 
Joseph,  a  young  man  of  thirty,  on  the  steps  of 
the  throne,  interpreting  to  Pharaoh  his  dreams. 
He  seems  to  be  counting  the  years  of  plenty 
and  of  famine  on  his  fingers,  the  better  to  make 
his  meaning  clear.  Not  content  with  simply 
interpreting  the  dreams,  Joseph,  we  know,  gave 
Pharaoh  sound  practical  advice,  grounded  on  his 
interpretation,  recommending  him  to  "  look  out 
a  man  discreet  and  wise,  and  set  him  over  the 
land  of  Egypt,"  who  would  have  officers  under 


176  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

him,  so  that  a  fifth  part  of  the  harvests  of  the 
plenteous  years  might  be  taken  up  and  stored 
away,  that  the  land  perish  not  during  the  years 
of  famine.  The  inscription  written  on  the 
outer  edge  of  the  apse  is  : 

Somnia  qu^e  vidit  Pharao  Joseph  reseravii 
Collegit  segetes^  populis  quas  participavit. 

{QsQw.  xli.  14-36.) 

In  the  apex  of  the  arch  that  separates  this 
cupola  from  the  next,  is  a  figure  of  Hope  clothed 
as  a  queen,  with  the  motto,  Beatus  vir,  cujus 
Dominus  spes  ejus  est  (Ps.  cxlvi.  5).  The  other 
figures  on  this  arch  are  those  of  St.  Agnes, 
St.  Sylvester,  St.  Catherine,  and  St.  Geminianus, 
of  Modena.  This  last  was  made  from  a  cartoon 
by  Titian. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

THE    HISTORY    OF   JOSEPH    {continued) 
FIFTH    CUPOLA    AND    LUNETTE 

(i)  Joseph,  Governor  of  Egypt,  stor- 
ing Grain. — Joseph  had  counselled  Pharaoh, 
as  we  saw  at  the  close  of  our  last  chapter,  to 
"  look  out  a  man  discreet  and  wise,  and  set  him 
over  the  land  of  Egypt,"  to  make  provision 
during  the  years  of  plenty  against  the  years  of 
famine,  and  Pharaoh,  believing  the  interpretation 
given  of  his  dreams  and  recognising  the  advice 
as  statesmanlike,  was  shrewd  enough  at  once  to 
seize  upon  Joseph  as  the  man  best  fitted  to  carry 
out  this  policy.  In  doing  this  he  uses  language 
which  shows  that,  as  we  have  already  said,  he 
had  a  knowledge  of  Jehovah,  for  he  speaks  of 
Joseph  as  "  a  man  in  whom  the  spirit  of  God 
is,"  and  recognises  the  insight  he  had  into  the 
future  as  having  been  given  him  by  God.  In 
this  mosaic,  then,  we  see  Joseph  installed  as 
Governor  of  all   the    land  of  Egypt.     He  is 

M 


178  THE   OLD  TESTAMENT 

arrayed  in  vestures  of  fine  linen  and  purple,  the 
colour  of  regal  authority.  On  his  head  is  a 
diadem,  on  his  hand  is  Pharaoh's  signet-ring, 
and  he  is  attended  by  a  train  of  servants.  The 
seven  years  of  plenty  foretold  have  set  in,  and 
Joseph  has  built  granaries  in  the  form  of  pyra- 
mids, and  is  storing  up  in  them  the  golden 
grain  that  "  the  earth  brought  forth  by  hand- 
fuls."  Hie  Joseph  redactas  segetes  in  manipulos 
jus  sit  eongregari  in    horrea   Mgypi   (Gen.  xli. 

37-49)- 

(2)  The  Birth  of  Ephraim,  Joseph's 
second  Son. — Pharaoh  has  given  Asenath, 
the  daughter  of  Poti-pherah  (belonging  to  the 
sun),  priest  of  On,  to  Joseph  as  his  wife,  and  by 
her  he  had  two  sons,  Manasseh  and  Ephraim. 
The  birth,  not  of  the  elder,  but  of  the  younger, 
is  here  depicted,  because  the  compilers  of  our 
Bible  had  in  their  minds  the  extraordinary 
incident  recorded  in  Gen.  xlviii.  8-20,  when  the 
aged  Jacob,  whose  eyes  "  were  dim  for  age,  so 
that  he  could  not  see,"  deliberately  crossed  his 
hands  when  blessing  Joseph's  children,  so  that 
his  right  hand  might  rest  on  the  head  of  the 
younger,  who  inherited  the  Messianic  blessing. 
In  the  mosaic,  Joseph's  wife  is  lying  on  a  couch, 
Manasseh  the  elder  son  is  standing  beside  her, 
whilst  a  maid  presents  Ephraim  to  Joseph,  who 


Photo  by  C.  Nay 


ir.  11.  irardd-  Co. 


JOSEPH,   GOVERNOR  OF  EGYPT 

(Atrium,  Fifth  Cupola) 


p.    15 


THE    HISTORY   OF  JOSEPH        179 

has  just  entered  the  chamber.  The  birth  is 
related  here  because  the  children  were  born  during 
the  years  of  plenty.  The  explanatory  text 
runs  :  Hie  Ascenes^  uxor  Joseph,  peperit  Ephraim 
secundum  filium  (Gen.  xli.  50-52). 

(3)  The  Egyptians  cry  to  Joseph  for 
Bread. — The  seven  years  of  famine  have  now 
come,  "  and  when  all  the  land  of  Egypt  was 
famished,  the  people  cried  to  Pharaoh  for  bread," 
who  said,  "  go  unto  Joseph."  The  mosaic 
represents  Joseph,  with  a  diadem  on  his  head, 
and  attended  by  a  military  guard,  listening  to 
the  appeal  which  a  famished  crowd,  with  out- 
stretched hands,  make  to  him  for  bread.  Hie 
populus  clamavit  ad  Pharaonem  alimenta  petens, 
quibus    respondit,  ite  ad  Joseph  (Gen.  xli.  53- 

ss)- 

(4)  Joseph  selling  Grain  to  the 
Egyptians. — Here  we  see  Joseph's  answer  to 
the  cry  of  the  people  for  bread.  He  has 
opened  the  well-filled  storehouses,  and  is  super- 
intending the  measuring  and  selling  of  the 
grain.  The  measure  used  is  a  round  hooped 
wooden  vessel,  with  a  bar  across  its  mouth,  such 
as  is  still  in  use  in  many  places  for  grain,  and 
such  as  was  found  in  Pompeii.  The  eagerness 
of  the  starving  Egyptians  to  obtain  food  is  seen 
in  their  countenances,  and  in  the  way  they  are 


180  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

holding  out  their  sacks.  One  has  gripped  his 
with  his  teeth  the  more  widely  to  extend  it.  In 
connection  with  this  incident  it  is  an  interesting 
fact  that  there  is  a  stone,  of  the  time  of  Joseph, 
in  the  British  Museum,  with  an  inscription  which 
Dr.  Kinns  translates  as  follows :  "  I  collected  corn 
as  a  friend  of  the  harvest  god.  I  was  watchful  in 
time  of  saving,  and  when  a  famine  arose,  lasting 
many  years,  I  distributed  corn  to  the  city  each 
year  of  the  famine."  The  inscription  of  this 
mosaic  is  :  Hie  aperuit  Joseph  horrea  immensa^ 
e  vendebat  jEgyptiis  (Gen.  xli,  56-57). 

(5)  Jacob  sends  Joseph's  Brethren  to 
Egypt  to  buy  Corn. — The  famine  was  not 
confined  to  Egypt,  but  "  was  sore  in  all  lands." 
It  was  felt  in  Canaan  by  Joseph's  family,  and 
so  we  here  see  Jacob  saying  to  his  sons, 
"  Behold  I  have  heard  that  there  is  corn  in 
Egypt,  get  you  down  thither  and  buy  for  us 
from  thence,  that  we  may  live  and  not  die." 
The  aged  Patriarch  sits  with  his  hand  extended 
as  he  talks  to  his  sons  in  front  of  him,  of 
whose  faces,  however,  but  four  can  be  seen. 
The  text  is  :  Hie  Jacob  praeepit  deeem  filiis 
suis  ut  irent  in  ^gyptum  causa  emendi  frumen- 
tum  (Gen.  xlii.  1-2). 

(6)  Joseph  treating  his  Brethren  as 
Spies. — Joseph's    brethren    have    arrived    in 


THE   HISTORY   OF  JOSEPH         181 

Egypt  to  buy  corn,  and  have  come  into  the 
presence  of  Joseph,  for  "  he  it  was  who  sold 
unto  all  the  people  of  the  land."  Their  first 
action  was  to  "  bow  down  before  him  with  their 
faces  to  the  earth."  The  ten  or  twelve  years 
that  have  gone  by  since  they  sold  Joseph  to  the 
Ishmaelites  (it  is  the  second  year  of  the  famine) 
have  made  little  change  in  them  who  were 
grown  up  men  at  the  time,  but  have  wrought 
much  in  Joseph,  and  so  he  at  once  knew  them, 
though  they  failed  to  recognise  him.  "  Joseph 
remembered,"  we  read,  "  the  dreams  which  he 
dreamed  of  them,"  which  were  now  being  ful- 
filled, and  deeming  it  his  duty  to  prove  his 
brethren  by  tempering  love  with  severity,  "  he 
made  himself  strange  unto  them,  and  spake 
roughly  unto  them,"  treating  them  as  spies. 
Joseph  is  shown  sitting  in  the  door-way  of  his 
palace,  as  Governor  of  the  land,  whilst  before 
him  the  ten  brothers  stand  cowering  one  behind 
another,  and  dropping  their  heads  on  their 
shoulders,  as  he  again  and  again  says,  "  Ye  are 
spies,  to  see  the  nakedness  of  the  land  ye  are 
come,"  and  at  last  orders  his  guards,  who  have 
hold  of  the  foremost  by  the  wrist,  to  lead  all 
away  to  prison.  The  text  is :  Hie  Joseph 
congregavit  fratres  suos^  et  dure  loquens  eis  posuil 
(;ustodi^  tribus  diebus  (Gen.  xHi.  3-17). 


182  THE   OLD  TESTAMENT 

(7)  The  Remorse  of  Joseph's  Breth- 
ren.— Whilst  failing  to  recognise  in  "  the  lord 
of  the  land  "  their  lost  brother  Joseph,  they  do 
not  fail  to  connect  their  present  punishment 
with  their  unnatural  behaviour  towards  him. 
In  the  mosaic  the  prison  is  shown,  and  they  are 
seen  standing,  saying  one  to  another,  "  We  are 
verily  guilty  concerning  our  brother,  in  that  we 
saw  the  anguish  of  his  soul,  when  he  besought 
us,  and  we  would  not  hear,  therefore  is  this 
distress  come  upon  us."  Reuben,  the  firstborn, 
weeping  and  leaning  on  one  near  him,  says, 
"  Spake  I  not  unto  thee,  Do  not  sin  against  the 
child,  and  ye  would  not  hear.  Therefore  behold 
also  his  blood  is  required."  And  all  this  re- 
morseful lamentation  goes  on  in  Joseph's  pre- 
sence, who  has  come  on  the  third  day  of  their 
imprisonment  to  offer  them  a  conditional  liberty, 
they  not  knowing  that  he  understood  them,  as 
he  spake  to  them  through  an  interpreter. 
Joseph,  overcome,  turns  from  them,  and  is  seen 
standing  in  the  recess  of  the  prison  door  weep- 
ing. The  explanatory  words  are  :  Hie  fratres 
Joseph  loquuti  sunt  invieem,  merito  h^ee  patimur^ 
quia  peeeavimus  in  fratrem  nostrum.  Et  Joseph 
aver  tit  se^  et  planxit  (Gen.  xlii.  18-24). 

(8)  Joseph  binds  Simeon  as  a  Host- 
age.— The   condition  of  the  liberation  of  the 


THE    HISTORY   OF  JOSEPH         183 

brethren,  which  Joseph  proposed,  was  that  one 
of  them  should  be  left  bound  in  the  prison,  as  a 
pledge  that  they  would  return  from  Canaan, 
bringing  Benjamin  with  them.  To  this  they 
agreed,  and  Joseph,  passing  by  Reuben,  probably 
because  he  sought  to  save  him  at  Dothan, 
selected  as  a  hostage  Simeon,  the  second  son,  a 
man  noted  for  cruelty.  The  mosaic  shows 
Simeon  crouching  before  Joseph,  one  of  whose 
attendants  has  bound  his  hands.  The  brethren 
look  sadly  on.  Hie  Joseph  jussit  Simeon  ligari 
fratribus  prasentibuSy  et  pecuniam  singularum 
reddi  (Gen.  xlii.  24). 

(9)  Joseph's  Brethren  arrive  Home 
with  their  Grain.  {This  mosaic,  and  the 
two  following  ones,  are  in  the  lunette  on  the 
right  wall.') — In  sending  his  brethren  away,  we 
read  that  Joseph  not  only  filled  their  sacks  with 
grain,  but  "  restored  every  man  his  money  into 
his  sack,"  and  gave  them  provision  for  the  way. 
And  now,  having  made  the  homeward  journey 
safely,  and  having  told  their  father  of  the 
strange  behaviour  of  "  the  lord  of  the  land " 
towards  them,  they  empty  their  sacks  in  his 
presence,  when,  "  behold,  every  man's  bundle  of 
money  was  in  his  sack."  The  mosaic  shows  the 
astonishment  and  fear  of  Jacob  and  the  brethren 
as  they  see  the  bags  of  money  amongst  the  grain. 


184  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

The   text    reads  :    Evacuantes    saccos  frumento^ 
receperunt pecuniam  in  ore  suo  (Gen,  xlii.  25-38). 

(10)  Jacob  sending  Benjamin  with 
his  Brethren  to  Egypt. — The  grain  brought 
from  Egypt  was  exhausted,  and  Jacob  said  to 
his  sons,  "  Go  again,  buy  us  a  little  food." 
They,  however,  refused  to  go  unless  their 
father  allowed  Benjamin  to  go  with  them,  for 
whose  appearance  Simeon  was  held  as  a  hostage. 
Jacob  for  a  time  withheld  his  consent,  but 
"  the  famine  was  sore  in  the  land,"  and  so, 
forced  on  by  want  of  food,  and  partly  trusting 
to  a  present  of  fruit,  honey,  and  spices  to  appease 
Joseph,  as  he  had  appeased  Esau,  he  at  last 
yielded.  The  mosaic  shows  the  aged  father 
sitting  at  the  door  of  his  house  confiding  Benja- 
min to  his  brethren's  care,  with  the  prayer, 
"God  Almighty  give  you  mercy  before  the 
man."  It  also  shows  the  servants  lading  the 
asses  with  the  presents  designed  for  the  Governor 
of  the  land.  The  text  is  :  Hie  Jacob  mittit 
Benjamin  cum  aliis  fillis  suis  in  Mgypium 
(Gen.  xliii.  1-14). 

(11)  Joseph  receiving  Benjamin. — 
This  is  the  last  scene  depicted  in  the  life  of 
Joseph.  His  brethren  have  arrived  a  second 
time  in  Egypt,  and  have  brought  Benjamin  with 
them,  thus  fulfilling  the  condition  Joseph  laid 


THE   HISTORY   OF   JOSEPH  185 

down  as  that  alone  on  which  he  would  receive 
them.  In  the  mosaic,  there  is  shown  a  decorated 
arched  entrance  to  Joseph's  palace,  behind  which 
are  turrets  and  domes,  grouped  to  suggest  an 
extent  of  roof.  The  brethren,  with  Simeon, 
who  has  been  liberated,  and  with  Benjamin  in 
the  foreground,  are  here  awaiting  the  home- 
coming of  Joseph  at  noon.  On  his  arrival,  we 
are  told,  he  inquired  first  for  their  father's  wel- 
fare, and  then  "  he  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  saw 
his  brother  Benjamin,  his  mother's  son,"  and 
said,  '*  Is  this  your  younger  brother  of  whom  ye 
spake  unto  me  ?  "  and  as  he  extends  his  hand,  as 
here  represented,  to  receive  him,  he  says,  "  God 
be  merciful  unto  thee,  my  son."  Hie  Joseph 
reeipit  Benjamin  fratrem  suum  uterinum  (Gen. 
xliii.  15-34)- 

Our  Bible  does  not  carry  further  the  life  of 
Joseph,  but  in  thus  taking  farewell  of  him  it 
seems  to  bid  us  see  in  this  closing  scene  all  that 
followed — the  final  disclosure  he  made  of  him- 
self to  his  brethren,  his  full  forgiveness  of  their 
unnatural  crime,  the  bringing  of  his  father  and 
their  households  to  Egypt,  and  his  nourishment 
of  them  all  in  Goschen  until  the  close  of  his 
pure,  prosperous,  benevolent,  and  heroic  life. 

Before  passing  to  the  History  of  Moses,  which 
is  the  subject  of  our  next  chapter,  we  may  notice 


186  THE   OLD  TESTAMENT 

the  usual  beautiful  old  Byzantine  ornamentation 
under  the  archivolt  of  this  lunette,  consisting  of 
scroll-work  with  vine-leaves,  flowers,  and  fruit, 
in  the  midst  of  which  are  small  medallions  of 
SS.  Cosmos  and  Damian,  SS.  Cassian  and  Gau- 
denzio,  SS.  Cecilia  and  Marin.  In  the  apex  of 
the  arc  are  circles  of  blue  with  stars.  Opposite, 
in  the  arch  of  the  recess,  above  the  tomb  of  the 
Primicierio,  Bartolomo  Ricovrati,  who  was  presi- 
dent of  St.  Mark's  Hospital,  and  of  an  empty- 
one,  from  which  the  body  of  Thomas  Mowbray, 
Duke  of  Norfolk,  who  died  in  Venice  in  banish- 
ment in  1399,  ^^^  taken  to  England  in  1533, 
there  are  two  poor  modern  mosaics  of  SS.  Apol- 
linaris  and  Sigismund,  and  SS.  Francis  and 
Anthony.  Lastly,  in  the  apex  of  the  narrow 
arch  that  divides  this  cupola  from  the  next,  is  a 
mosaic  in  illustration  of  Matt.  xii.  42,  and  Luke 
xi.  31.  "  Behold,  the  Queen  of  the  South  shall 
rise  up  in  judgment  with  the  men  of  this  genera- 
tion, and  shall  condemn  it,  for  she  came  from 
the  ends  of  the  earth  to  hear  the  wisdom  of 
Solomon,  and  behold,  a  greater  than  Solomon  is 
here."  It  represents  this  queen,  Regina  Austria 
with  a  scroll  bearing  the  words  :  E  ccelo  rex 
adveniet  per  se.  Below  her  are  medallions  of 
SS.  Nicholas  and  Blaise,  and  full-sized  figures  of 
SS.  Dominic  and  Peter  Martyr. 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE    HISTORY    OF    MOSES 
SIXTH    CUPOLA 

Moses  was  not  only  one  of  the  greatest  Intellects 
of  the  Old  Testament,  but  one  of  the  greatest 
men  the  world  has  ever  seen.  We  would  place 
him  in  the  very  first  rank  of  those  geniuses  and 
heroes  whom  God  raises  up  from  time  to  time, 
at  great  junctures  in  human  history,  to  give  life 
and  liberty,  and  unity  and  order  and  govern- 
ment, to  an  enslaved  or  scattered  and  undisci- 
plined people.  He  was  the  maker  of  a  nation, 
and  his  dignity  as  such  exceeds  that  of  all  others, 
for  not  only  was  he  inspired  by  God,  but  God 
spake  unto  him  "  face  to  face,  as  a  man  speaketh 
unto  his  friend."  His  coming  marked  the  close 
of  the  Patriarchal  Dispensation,  and  the  com- 
mencement, in  the  history  of  the  Jewish  Nation 
which  he  created,  of  that  of  Law,  which  was  to 
last  till   the  advent    of   that    Prince,    Prophet, 


188  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

Law-giver,  and  Founder  of  a  Spiritual  Kingdom, 
whom  Moses  foreshadowed,  and  of  whom  he 
testified,  who  merged  "  Law  "  in  "  Grace  and 
Truth."  The  history,  then,  of  Moses,  and  the 
setting  up  of  that  Old  Covenant  Dispensation  is 
the  subject  of  this — the  last  chapter  of  the  Old 
Testament  portion  of  our  Bible — which  we  now 
proceed  to  read.  It  is  inscribed  in  ten  sections, 
seven  of  which  are  arranged  in  the  last  cupola 
of  the  atrium,  and  the  others  in  its  lunette, 
spandrels,  and  the  apse  above  the  atrium  side- 
door. 

(i)  Pharaoh's  Daughter  finding  the 
Child  Moses. — In  this  scene  is  represented,  by 
the  usual  blue  and  white  wavy  lines,  the  river 
Nile,  whose  waters,  issuing  from  a  figure  as 
their  source,  grow  rapidly  in  bulk  and  volume. 
Pharaoh's  daughter  has  found  among  the  flags 
by  the  river's  side  the  wicker  basket,  daubed  with 
pitch,  that  contained  Moses,  then  a  child  of 
three  months  old,  and  has  sent  her  maidens  to 
fetch  it.  One  takes  it  out  of  the  water,  another 
carries  it  on  her  shoulder  to  the  shore,  whilst  a 
third  woman,  probably  the  mother  of  Moses, 
whom  his  sister  has  called  as  his  nurse,  has  taken 
the  child  out  of  the  basket,  and  holds  it  in  her 
arms  before  Pharaoh's  daughter.  In  the  back- 
ground is  seen  the  royal  palace,  and   Pharaoh, 


THE   HISTORY   OF   MOSES         189 

with  his  nobles,  standing  by  its  portal.  The 
king,  clothed  in  gold,  carries  a  golden  sceptre, 
and  has  a  coronet  of  gold  on  his  head.  The  text 
is  :  Hie  filia  Pharaonis  jubet  tolli  infantulum 
Moysen  de  iiumine  (Ex.  ii.  i-io). 

(2)  Moses  slaying  an  Egyptian. — 
Forty  years  have  passed  away  since  the  scene 
portrayed  in  the  preceding  mosaic  took  place, 
and  the  infant  Moses  has  grown  to  manhood. 
Although  "  the  son  of  Pharaoh's  daughter,"  and 
brought  up  at  her  royal  court  as  a  prince,  all  his 
sympathies  are  with  his  oppressed  countrymen, 
whose  deliverer  he  was  destined  to  be.  This 
mosaic  sets  before  us  the  earliest  blow  he  struck 
for  their  liberty.  It  depicts  him,  first,  from  an 
eminence  "  looking  upon  their  burdens,"  and 
watching  an  Egyptian,  probably  a  cruel  task- 
master, smiting  an  Hebrew  ;  and  next,  it 
shows  him  standing  over  the  Egyptian  with  the 
club  raised  with  which  he  killed  him.  Hie 
Moyses  virum  Mgy-ptium  ■pereutientem  Hebr^eum 
oecidit  et  abseondit  sabulo  (Ex.  ii.  11,  12). 

(3)  Moses  making  Peace  between 
two  Hebrews. — But  Moses  was  ordained  to 
be  not  only  the  deliverer  of  the  Hebrews,  but 
also  their  lawgiver  and  judge,  in  which  light  this 
mosaic  discloses  him.  Like  the  last,  it  is  two- 
fold.    First  we  see  Moses  clothed  in  princely 


190  THE  OLD   TESTAMENT 

robes,  tall  and  dignified,  and  with  the  club  in  his 
hand  with  which  he  slew  the  Egyptian,  trying  to 
reconcile  two  Hebrews  in  their  unseemly  quarrel, 
who,  resenting  his  friendly  offices,  look  at  him 
angrily,  and  one,  making  signs  to  him  with  his 
hand  to  withdraw,  says,  "  Who  made  thee  a 
prince  and  a  judge  over  us?  Intendest  thou  to 
kill  me,  as  thou  killedst  the  Egyptian  ?  "  These 
upbraiding  words  showed  Moses  that  his  deed 
was  known,  and  very  soon  it  reached  the  ears  of 
Pharaoh,  who  sought  to  slay  him.  Moses, 
therefore,  fled  into  the  land  of  Midian,  and  so 
the  second  part  of  this  mosaic  shows  him  hiding 
amongst  the  rocks  of  Horeb,  the  mount  of  God, 
and  afterwards  sitting  disconsolate  by  a  well  at 
the  foot  of  the  mount.  The  text  is :  Hie 
Moyses^  altera  die^  redarguens  Hebraum  facientem 
injuriam  alteri^  audivit.  Numquid  occidere  tu  me 
vis  ?  Et  timuit  et  ivit  in  terram  Madian  (Ex. 
ii.  13-15). 

(4)  Moses  and  the  Daughters  of 
the  Priest  of  Midian  at  the  Well. — 
Moses  was  not  allowed  long  to  brood  over  his 
sorrows  by  the  well,  for  he  was  speedily  to  rouse 
himself  to  right  another  wrong,  and  the  well 
that  figured  in  incidents  bringing  felicity  to 
Isaac,  and  Jacob,  and  other  of  the  patriarchs,  was 
again  to  take   its  place   in  history  as  bringing 


THE   HISTORY   OF   MOSES         191 

felicity  to  him.  The  daughters  of  the  priest  of 
Midian,  Reuei,  or  Jethro,  as  he  is  afterwards 
called,  came  to  draw  water  to  give  drink  to 
their  father's  flock.  They  were  filling  the  troughs, 
when  certain  shepherds  came  to  drive  them  away, 
but  Moses  interfered  on  their  behalf.  The 
mosaic  shows  the  well,  the  troughs,  the  sheep 
drinking,  and  Moses  and  the  maidens  drawing 
water.  Hie  filice  sacerdotis  Madian  venerunt 
adaquare  greges  fatris  (Ex.  ii.  i6,  17). 

(5)  Moses  driving  away  the  Shep- 
herds.— Here  is  shown  Moses  driving  away 
the  shepherds  with  their  flocks  from  the  well. 
They  have  crooks  in  their  hands,  but  Moses  has 
his  club.  The  text  runs  :  Hie  Moyses,  defensis 
puellis  de  manu  pas  tor  um^  adaquavit  oves  eorum 
(Ex.  ii.  17). 

(6)  Moses  being  received  bythePriest 
of  Midian. — Apparently  the  shepherds  were  in 
the  habit  of  keeping  back  the  daughters  of  the 
priest  of  Midian  from  the  well,  for,  on  getting 
home,  their  father  asked  them,  "  How  is  it  that 
ye  are  come  so  soon  to-day  .^  "  They  answered 
that  "  an  Egyptian  delivered  us  out  of  the  hand 
of  the  shepherds,  and  also  drew  water  enough 
for  us  and  watered  the  flock."  Upon  this, 
Jethro  sent  them  to  call  him  to  eat  bread 
with  them.     The   mosaic    shows   Moses   being 


192  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

presented  by  the  maidens  to  their  father,  who 
sits  by  the  open  door  of  his  house.  The  sequel, 
we  know,  was  that  "  Moses  was  content  to  dwell 
with  the  man,  and  he  gave  him  Zipporah  his 
daughter."  The  text  reads  thus  :  Hie  juravit 
Moyses  habitare  cum  sacerdote  Madian  (Ex.  ii. 
18-22). 

(7)  Moses  at  the  burning  Bush. — 
"  Moses,"  we  read,  "  kept  the  flock  of  Jethro, 
his  father-in-law,  the  priest  of  Midian,"  and 
apparently  he  did  this  without  anything  of  note 
happening  for  forty  years.  Then,  at  the  close 
of  that  long  period,  when  he  was  eighty  years  of 
age,  he  received  the  Divine  manifestation  and 
command  here  depicted,  that  made  him,  during 
the  third  and  closing  term  of  forty  years  of  his 
life,  the  deliverer,  governor,  and  judge  of  the 
Nation  and  Church  of  the  Israelites.  The  scene 
is  again  Mount  Horeb,  at  the  foot  of  which 
Moses  is  feeding  his  flock.  On  an  eminence, 
conspicuously  in  view,  is  a  bush,  burning  yet  not 
consumed — "  The  light  of  Israel  shall  be  for  a 
fire,  and  His  Holy  One  for  a  flame."  Hence- 
forth for  him  all  "  natural  objects  seem  to  stand 
palpably  fire-clothed  " —  God  immanent  in  his 
works,  the  seen  becoming  sacraments  of  the 
unseen.  Below  the  eminence  is  Moses  unloos- 
ing   his  shoes,  preparatory  to  receiving  God's 


Photo  by  C .  Aoya 


//.  H.  Hard  &■  Co. 


THE   HISTORY   OF   MOSES 
(Atrium,  Sixtli  Cupola). 


p.  192 


THE   HISTORY  OF   MOSES         193 

command  to  go  to  Pharoah,  and  bring  up  the 
children  of  Israel  out  of  Egypt.  Hie  Moyses^ 
veniens  admontem  Dei  Oreb,  viditrubum  ardentem 
et  non  comburebatur ;  et  solvit  calceamentum  de 
■pedibus  (Ex.  iii.  i-io). 

(8)  The  Egyptians  overwhelmed  in 
the  Red  Sea.  {In  the  lunette.^ — A  glance 
at  this  page  of  our  Bible  is  sufficient  to  show 
that  it  is  not  in  its  original  condition.  There 
is  no  text,  and  the  pictorial  impression  it  bears 
is  clearly  not  that  which  was  first  printed  upon 
it.  It  is  one  of  those  comparatively  modern 
mosaics,  which  lack  all  the  simplicity,  and 
primitive  severity  of  outline,  all  the  impressive- 
ness  and  dignity,  of  the  ancient  ones.  The 
sketch  for  it  was  made  by  Palma  Vecchio.  Fortu- 
nately, however,  the  cartoon  of  the  original  of 
this  page  exists,  and  from  it  we  learn  that  the 
subject  here  portrayed  has  not  been  changed, 
and  we  are  able  also  to  reproduce  the  text. 

The  subject  is  the  last  of  that  series  of  judg- 
ments that  God  brought  upon  Egypt  for  the 
deliverance  of  the  Israelites,  in  accordance  with 
the  words  He  spoke  to  Moses  at  the  bush,  "  I 
have  surely  seen  the  affliction  of  my  people  .  .  . 
and  I  am  come  down  to  deliver  them  out  of  the 
hand  of  the  Egyptians."  On  the  further  shore 
of  the  Red  Sea  stand  Moses  and  Aaron,  gazing 

N 


194.  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

at  the  overthrow  of  Pharaoh  and  his  horsemen 
and  chariots  in  the  waters.  Beside  them  are 
Miriam  and  other  women,  who,  to  the  music  of 
timbrel,  harp,  and  other  instruments,  "  sing  unto 
the  Lord,  for  he  hath  triumphed  gloriously,  the 
horse  and  his  rider  hath  he  thrown  into  the 
sea."  The  words  that  were  originally  on  our 
page  were,  "  Submerso  Pharaone  in  mari^  plebs 
transit  Hehrea.  Cantemus,  dicit  Moyses,  soror 
atque  Miriam  "  (Ex.  xiv.  and  xv.).  In  the  arch 
of  this  lunette  are  the  figures  of  SS.  Paternian, 
Fantin,  Julian,  and  SS.  Augustine,  Magnus,  and 
Lucia,  all  of  the  same  epoch  as  the  mosaic. 

(9)  The  Miracles  of  the  Manna  and 
Quails.  {T^hese  two  miracles  are  depicted  in 
the  apse^  above  the  side  doorway  of  the  atrium^ 
which  opens  into  the  Piazzetta  dei  Leoni^  to 
which  the  reading  of  the  Old  Testament  portion 
of  our  Bible  has  brought  us.) — The  Children  of 
Israel  have  been  delivered  from  the  bondage  of 
Egypt,  and  have  come  forth,  if  in  one  sense  a 
straggling  host  of  fugitives,  yet  possessing  the 
elements  of  a  united  people,  welded  together  by 
a  common  origin,  by  common  sufferings,  by  a 
common  relationship  to  God,  and  by  a  high 
destiny.  They  have  reached  in  their  wander- 
ings the  wilderness  of  Sin,  a  month  after  leaving 
Egypt.     If  when  they  started  they  took  supplies 


THE   HISTORY   OF   MOSES         195 

of  food  with  them,  they  are  now  exhausted,  and 
nothing  can  be  found  in  this  desert.  Hungry, 
they  murmur,  calling  to  mind  the  flesh-pots  of 
Egypt  and  the  bread  they  ate  to  the  full,  and 
God  sends  them  manna  and  quails,  according  to 
His  word,  "  At  even  ye  shall  eat  flesh,  and  in 
the  morning  ye  shall  be  filled  with  bread." 
From  the  blue  starry  sky  we  see  the  white 
manna  descending  like  flakes  of  snow,  and 
lying  "  like  dew  round  about  the  host,"  then  we 
see  "  at  even  the  quails  coming  up  and  covering 
the  camp."  The  birds  are  everywhere,  in  the 
air,  on  the  roofs  of  the  tents,  on  the  ground, 
and  men  and  women  are  busily  occupied,  some 
catching,  some  preparing  and  some  cooking 
them.  The  text  is  :  Mane  pluit  manna^  cecidit 
quoque  sero  coturnix  (Ex.  xvi.). 

(lo)  The  Miracle  of  Water  from  the 
Rock.  {^Also  in  the  apse  above  the  atrium 
side  door.) — No  sooner  was  the  daily  need  of 
the  children  of  Israel  as  regards  food  miraculously 
met,  than  another  equally  imperious  daily  need 
assailed  them.  Journeying  deeper  into  the 
desert  they  could  find  no  water,  and  they  were 
suff^ering  from  thirst.  Again  they  murmured 
and  again  God  heard  their  cry,  and  answered  it. 
The  miracle  by  which  He  did  this  is  here 
depicted.     The  scene  of  it  is  easily  recognised 


196  THE   OLD   TESTAMENT 

as  that  mount  which  has  already  figured  in  the 
history  of  Moses — Mount  Horeb.  Moses  has 
gone  thither,  taking  with  him  some  of  the  elders 
of  Israel,  in  obedience  to  the  divine  command. 
He  has  in  his  right  hand  his  rod,  and  in  his  left 
a  scroll,  with  the  words,  Da  nobis  aquam  ut 
bibamus^  as  if  bearing  the  querulous  demand  of 
the  people  before  the  Lord.  He  strikes  the 
rock  which  is  rent,  and  yields  an  abundant 
supply  of  water.  Before  withdrawing  his  rod, 
the  end  of  which  is  dipped  in  the  flowing  stream, 
he  turns  to  the  elders  in  the  surprise  and  joy  of 
the  miracle.  The  waters,  it  is  supposed,  flowed 
to  Rephidim,  where  was  the  camp,  for,  as  the 
Psalmist  says,  and  as  is  here  represented,  "  God 
caused  waters  to  run  down  like  rivers,"  and 
many  of  the  Israelites,  as  is  also  here  shown, 
naturally  hastened  to  their  source.  A  mother 
is  giving  drink  to  her  thirsty  babe,  some  men 
and  women  are  catching  the  water  in  bowls,  and 
others  are  carrying  it  away  in  waterpots.  Bis 
silicem  ferity  hinc  affluit  largissima  plena  (Ex. 
xvii.  i-y). 

These  two  last  mosaics  close  not  only  the 
History  of  Moses,  but  also  the  Old  Testament 
section  of  our  Bible.  The  wall-space  of  the 
atrium  which  forms  the  leaves  available  for 
inscription    is    exhausted.      But    not    without 


THE   HISTORY   OF   MOSES         197 

reason  were  the  Fall  of  Manna,  and  the  Water 
from  the  Rock  chosen  as  the  concluding  subjects. 
It  was  that  the  mind  of  the  reader  might 
be  carried  forward  to  the  coming  of  Him 
whom  they  prefigured,  who  is  the  Bread  and  the 
Water  of  Life,  of  whom  if  a  man  eat  and  drink 
he  shall  live  for  ever,  and  who  is  displayed 
inside  the  church  in  all  the  plentitude  of  His 
saving  and  sustaining  grace.  It  is  true  that 
between  the  giving  of  the  material  and  of  the 
spiritual  provision,  there  stretched  long  centuries, 
full  of  stirring  events  in  the  life  of  the  chosen 
people  ;  but  yet,  as  I  have  already  said,  they  were 
centuries  that  developed  nothing  that  is  not 
contained  in  germ  in  what  we  have  already  read. 
Still,  notwithstanding  this,  and  in  order,  as  it 
were,  to  bridge  across  the  great  gulf  of  time, 
and  to  suggest  the  unity  of  God's  working  both 
in  Old  Testament  and  in  New  Testament 
periods,  the  compilers  of  our  Bible  have  placed 
on  the  four  spandrels  of  this  last  cupola  the 
figures  of  David,  Solomon,  Zechariah,  and 
Malachi,  each  one  bearing  a  scroll  on  which  is 
inscribed  a  prophetic  utterance  in  regard  to  the 
advent  of  Christ.  On  the  scroll  of  David  are 
the  words,  "  Of  the  fruit  of  thy  body  will  I  set 
upon  thy  throne  "  (Ps.  cxxxii.  ii)  ;  on  that  of 
Solomon,  "  Who  is  he  that  looketh  forth  as  the 


198  THE   OLD  TESTAMENT 

morning"  (Canticles  vi.  lo)  ;  on  that  of 
Zechariah,  "Sing  and  rejoice,  O  daughter  of 
Zion,  for  lo  !  I  come"  (Zech.  ii.  lo)  ;  and  on 
that  of  Malachi,  "Behold  I  will  send  my 
messenger,  and  he  shall  prepare  the  way  before 
me"  (Mai.  iii.  i).  One  feels  how  admirably 
these  passages  have  been  chosen. 

Lastly,  prophecy  is  carried  on  to  fulfilment, 
and  the  link  between  the  Old  Testament  and 
the  New  is  appropriately  completed  by  the 
mosaic  in  the  apse  above  the  transept  door  at 
the  end  of  the  atrium.  This  represents  Christ 
seated  as  a  babe  on  His  mother's  knee,  with 
St.  John  on  His  right  hand,  and  St.  Mark  on 
His  left,  each  with  his  gospel.  It  is  an  ancient 
Byzantine  mosaic,  renewed  however  by  Giovanni 
Moro  in  1839-40.  It  will  be  noticed  that 
Christ,  though  a  babe,  is  exalted  above  the  others 
as  their  Head  and  ours.  Whilst  Mary  and  the 
Evangelists  have  a  simple  narrow  circlet  of  colour 
round  their  heads,  Christ  has  a  gold  nimbus, 
on  which  is  the  shadow  of  the  cross.  In  His 
left  hand  He  holds  the  Word  of  God,  and  His 
right  is  raised  in  the  attitude  of  blessing.  This 
mosaic  carries  the  mind  back  to  the  Nestorian 
controversy  regarding  Christ's  divinity,  that 
raged  in  the  Church  at  the  beginning  of  the 
fifth  century,  and  recalls  the  fact  that  it  was 


THE   HISTORY  OF   MOSES         199 

then  that  such  pictures  of  the  Madonna  and 
Child  were  introduced,  not  in  honour  of  Mary, 
but  to  show,  in  opposition  to  the  supposed 
teaching  of  Nestorius,  the  Patriarch  of  Con- 
stantinople, that  Christ  was  divine  from  His 
birth,  and  therefore  was  worthy  of  worship  even  as 
a  babe.  This  mosaic,  as  do  all  similar  ones  in 
St.  Mark's,  witnesses  to  that  original  intention, 
which  in  many  modern  pictures  of  the  kind  has 
been  sadly  lost  sight  of,  the  divinity  being 
frequently  transferred  from  the  babe  to  the 
mother,  and,  to  quote  the  words  of  Fra  Paolo 
Sarpi,  restando  Egli  nella  -pittura  come  appendice 
(He  remaining  in  the  picture  as  an  appendix). 
The  monogram  Ivf-P  g'y,  written  over  the  head 
of  Mary,  we  have  already  met  with  in  the 
sculpture  of  the  Madonna  on  the  Title-page 
(page  47),  and  although  here  there  is  a  circumflex 
over  the  0  and  Y,  which  is  lacking  there,  this  is 
but  the  result  of  restoration,  and  the  marked 
absence  of  the  connecting  hyphen  between  these 
letters  bears  out  the  interpretation  we  have 
already  given,  namely,  that  they  do  not  stand 
for  Geou,  but  for  the  two  words  Otou  Ytov,  and 
that  the  reading  of  the  monogram  is  not 
"  Mother  of  God,"  but  "  Mother  of  the  Divine 
Son." 

I    may    here    say   that    the    freedom    of  St. 


200  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 

Mark's  from  anything  savouring  of  Mariolatry 
is  not  only  brought  out  in  this  method  of 
representing  the  Virgin,  but  also  in  the  fact  that 
there  was  no  Lady  Chapel  in  the  church  until 
the  year  1617,  when  the  chapel  of  St.  John  the 
Evangelist,  in  the  north  transept,  was  dedicated 
to  the  Virgin  of  Nicopeia.  Mr.  Ruskin's 
words  are  emphatically  true,  "  She  (Mary)  is 
not  here  the  presiding  deity." 


PART    III 
THE    NEW  TESTAMENT 

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DIAGRAM  or  MOSAICS 

New  Testament 


p.    204 


PART    III  :    THE   NEW   TESTAMENT 

To  pass  from  MalachI  to  Matthew  in  any 
printed  Bible  one  has  but  to  turn  a  leaf,  and  so 
it  is  in  passing  from  the  Old  Testament  to  the 
New  Testament  in  our  Bible  of  St.  Mark.  We 
have  but  to  cross  the  threshold  of  the  Central 
Inner  Door  of  the  church,  when  we  find  its 
open  pages  glowing  on  its  walls  and  cupolas. 

This  inner  door  is  framed  by  a  semi-circular 
apse,  and  is  reached  by  a  broad  flight  of  steps. 
Looking  up,  the  eye  naturally  catches  sight  of  a 
large  mosaic  of  St.  Mark,  who  is  clad  in  modern 
episcopal  robes.  This  mosaic  is  interesting  as 
having  been  made  from  a  cartoon  of  Titian's, 
but  it  is  entirely  out  of  place  here,  and  we  must 
not  allow  it  to  withdraw  our  attention  from  the 
old  Byzantine  mosaics  below  it,  that  form,  so 
appropriately,  the  original  decoration  of  the 
doorway.  These  are  figures  of  Christ  with 
the  Apostles  and  the  Four  Evangelists 
set  in  two  rows  of  niches.  In  the  centre  of  the 
upper  one  is  Christ  in  his  mother's  arms.     Here, 


204  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT 

as  in  the  mosaic  over  the  side  atrium  door,  our 
Lord,  though  a  babe,  has  all  the  emblems  of 
authority — the  roll  of  the  testimony,  and  the 
teaching  and  blessing  hand,  whilst  Mary  is  on 
an  equality  with  the  other  saints,  with  her  mono- 
gram, M^?  er  (Mother  of  the  Divine  Son). 
On  Christ's  right  hand  stand,  next  Him,  St. 
Peter,  and  then,  in  receding  order,  St.  James, 
St.  Simon,  and  St.  Philip  (this  last  on  the  wall, 
not  in  a  niche)  ;  and  on  His  left  St.  Paul, 
and  then,  in  receding  order,  St.  Andrew,  St. 
Thomas,  and  St.  Bartholomew  (this  last  on  the 
wall,  not  in  a  niche).  Above  them  are  written 
the  words  : 

Sponsa  Deo  gigno  natos  ex  Virgine  Virgo 
Qjios  fragile  s  fir  mo  fortes  super  athera  mitto. 

The  lower  row  of  figures,  broken  by  the  door, 
consists  of  the  four  evangelists,  St.  Matthew,  St. 
Mark,  St.  Luke,  and  St.  John,  each  with  his 
gospel,  above  whose  heads  are  the  words  : 

Ecclesia  Crisd  vigiles  sunt  quatuor  isti, 
duorum  duke  melos   sonat  et  movet  undique 
ccelos. 

On  entering  the  church,  the  first  impression 
received,  is,  I  think,  similar  to  that  made  upon 
us  when  we  turn  rapidly  over  the  pages  of  a 


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ITS   GENERAL   CHARACTERISTICS  205 

New  Testament,  without  stopping  to  read  any 
particular  part — Christ  meets  the  eye  in  every 
place.  Not  such  a  Christ,  however,  as  is  com- 
monly exhibited  throughout  Italy — either  a 
helpless  babe  in  His  mother's  arms,  or  a  dead  man 
on  a  cross,  neither  of  whom  can  help  us — but  the 
God-man  Christ  Jesus,  in  the  plentitude  of  his 
power,  "  in  whom  dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of 
the  Godhead  bodily."  The  words  of  Mr. 
Ruskin  are  almost  literally  true  :  "  Every  dome 
and  hollow  of  its  roof  has  the  figure  of  Christ  in 
the  utmost  height  of  it,  raised  in  power,  or 
coming  in  judgment "  ;  to  which  we  may  add 
that  the  same  radiant  figure  dominates  the  build- 
ing, from  apse  and  pilaster,  from  pillared  porch 
and  broad  expanse  of  wall.  Christus,  Christus 
vincit,  Christus  regnat,  Christus  imperat^  rings 
in  the  cupolas,  and  echoes  round  the  vaults  and 
galleries  of  the  marble  structure.  Another  im- 
pression, received  when  the  church  is  regarded 
as  a  whole,  is  one  akin  to  that  produced  when 
we  begin  to  read  the  gospel  according  to  St. 
Mark.  The  Evangelist  plunges  us  right  into 
the  public  life  of  our  Lord,  saying  nothing  about 
his  birth  and  infancy.  This  is  no  omission,  but 
is  done  in  accordance  with  his  intention  to  set 
forth  in  his  gospel  Christ  as  the  "  strong  man 
armed,"  as  "  the  lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,"  and 


206  THE   NEW   TESTAMENT 

in  observance  of  the  limits  laid  down  by  St. 
Peter  (whose  teaching,  as  we  have  seen,  he  pre- 
serves) as  to  the  extent  of  the  Apostolic  testi- 
mony, which  was  to  be  "  from  the  baptism  of 
John  unto  the  same  day  that  he  was  taken  up 
from  us"  (Acts  i.  22).  And  so,  whilst  Christ's 
birth  and  infancy  are  recorded  here,  still  they 
were  deemed  of  such  secondary  importance  that 
they  are  relegated  to  an  obscure  part  of  the 
church,  and  taken,  to  a  large  extent,  from  the 
Apocryphal  Gospels.  One  other  general  im- 
pression which  the  book  as  a  whole  makes  upon 
us  is  that  it  is  not  complete.  We  do  not  find 
the  whole  New  Testament  here,  any  more  than 
we  found  the  whole  Old  Testament  in  the 
atrium,  because  the  space  did  not  admit  of 
it.  But,  as  in  the  case  of  the  latter,  we  saw  that 
there  was  inscribed  the  historic  part  of  Genesis, 
and  that  it  was  the  foundation  chapter  of  the 
Old  Testament,  the  source  and  spring  of  every- 
thing to  be  found  in  the  Jewish  Scriptures,  so 
here  there  is  the  Gospel,  the  facts  of  Christ's 
life,  the  things  which  the  apostles  saw  and 
heard,  which  is  the  historic  part  of  the  New 
Testament,  and  the  ground-work  of  everything 
else  to  be  found  in  the  Christian  Scriptures. 
Lastly,  these  facts  seem  to  lend  themselves  with 
peculiar  appositeness  to  pictorial  representation. 


ITS   GENERAL   CHARACTERISTICS  207 

One  reason  of  this  is  that,  though  they  are 
culled  from  the  whole  four  gospels,  they  are 
taken  mainly  from  that  of  St.  Mark,  which, 
though  brief,  is  really  broader  than  the  others, 
being  richer  in  minute  and  varied  details,  setting 
forth  both  the  acts  Christ  did,  and  the  effects 
they  produced  upon  the  people  ;  whilst  his 
language  is  simple,  forcible,  terse,  graphic,  and 
glowing.  Then,  again,  his  gospel  is  in  itself  a 
series  of  life-like  pictures,  and  there  is,  therefore, 
a  special  appropriateness  in  having  it  thus  in- 
scribed in  enduring  colours  that  appeal  to  the 
imagination  and  the  heart,  through  the  eye,  on 
the  glowing  pages  of  our  book.  If,  too,  it  was 
written,  as  some  think,  for  Gentile  Christians, 
and  primarily  for  those  in  Italy,  its  suitableness 
for  representation  here  is  still  further  enhanced. 
Whilst  for  a  more  particular  examination  or 
the  mosaics  it  is  well  to  go  up  to  the  galleries 
that  run  round  the  church,  still  it  will  be  found 
more  convenient,  in  the  first  place,  to  read  them 
from  below,  whence  all  can  be  sufficiently  well 
seen  ;  and  for  this  purpose  we  will  take  our 
stand  on  the  great  marble  flags,  that  cover  the 
old  eighth-century  crypt,  under  the  Central 
Cupola,  in  front  of  the  Altar  Screen,  on 
which  are  set  fourteen  marble  figures — those  of 
the  Apostles,  and  of  St.  Mark  and  Mary,  which 


208  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

were  made  in  1393  ;  and  a  great  copper  and  silver 
crucifix,  with  the  symbols  of  the  four  Evangelists 
in  its  extremities,  made  the  following  year. 

In    passing,   however,    up  the    nave    to    this 
place,    let    us    glance    to    right    and     left,    for, 
gleaming    out    of    the    darkness,   between  the 
columns  that  support  the  galleries,  framed  in 
gold    on    the    marble    walls,   are   single-figure 
mosaics  of  Old    Testament   prophets,  holding 
scrolls  with  texts  that  foretell  the  incarnation  of 
our    Lord.     On   the   wall    to  our  right,    with 
Mary  in  their  midst,  who  is  in   the  Byzantine 
attitude  of  prayer,   but  whose  monogram    has 
been  altered  in  restoration,  are 
Isaiah   (ch.   vii.   14).  —  Ecce  virgo  concipiet  et 
pariet  filium  et  vocabitur  Emmanuel.     (Be- 
hold a  virgin  shall  conceive  and  bear  a  son, 
and  shall  call  his  name  Immanuel.) 
David  (Ps.  cxxxii,  11). — De  fructu   ventris   tut 
ponam  super  sedem  meam.     (Of   the    fruit 
of  thy  body  will  I  set  upon  thy  throne.) 
Solomon   (Cant.  vi.    10).  —  Qiu<e  est  ista  qua 
ascendit  sicut  aurora  consurgens.     (Who  is 
this  that  ascends  like  the  rising  morning.) 
Ezekiel  (ch.  xliv.  2). — Porta  h<£C,  quam  vides^ 
clausa  erit  et  non   aperietur.     (This  gate, 
which  thou  seest,  shall  be  shut,  and  it  shall 
not  be  opened.) 


Phuto  by  C.  ,\'uya 


II'.  If.  Hard  &■  Co 


YOUTHFUL   CHRIST 
(on  wall  of  North  Aisle) 


p.    2C8 


ITS   GENERAL   CHARACTERISTICS    209 

Then,  on  the  opposite  wall,  to  our  left,  with 
a  lovely  figure  of  a  youthful  Christ  clothed  in  a 
robe  of  gold,  against  a  starry  blue  sky,  to  bring 
out  His  divinity,  standing  in  their  midst,  are, 
Hosea    (ch.   vi,   3).  —  Quasi   diluculum   pr^- 
paratus  est   egressus   ejus^  et  veniet  quasi 
imber  nobis  temporaneus^  et  serotinus  terr^e. 
(His  going  forth  is  prepared  as  the  morn- 
ing, and  he  shall  come  unto  us  as  the  rain, 
as   the   latter   and    former   rain    unto  the 
earth.) 
Joel  (ch.  ii.  2). — Similis  ei  non  fuit  a  principio, 
et  post  eum  non  erit,  usque  in  annos  genera- 
tionis    et  generationis.     (There    hath    not 
been  like  to  him  from  the  beginning,  and 
after  him  there  shall  not  be,  even  to  the 
years  of  generations  and  generations.) 
Micah  (ch.  i.  3). — Ecce  Dominus  egredietur  de 
loco  suo,  et  descendit  et  calcabit  super  excelsa 
terra.      (Behold    the    Lord  cometh    forth 
out  of  his  place,  and  will  come  down  and 
tread  upon  the  high  places  of  the  earth.) 
Jeremiah  (Baruch,  ch.   iii.  38).  —  Post  htec  in 
terris  visus  est,  et  cum  hominibus  conversatus 
est.     (After  these  things   he  was  seen  on 
earth,  and  he  dwelt  with  men.) 


CHAPTER    I 

THE   BIRTH   AND   INFANCY   OF 
OUR  LORD 

I  HAVE  already  said  that  as  the  Evangelist 
St.  Mark  omits  the  birth  and  infancy  of  our 
Lord,  the  story  is  largely  taken  for  our  New 
Testament  from  an  apocryphal  source.  That 
source  is  the  Protovangelium  of  St.  James, 
which  is  written  in  Greek,  assigned  to  the 
second  century,  and  attributed  to  James  the  Less, 
the  Lord's  brother.  Our  compilers  have  also 
drawn  it  from  the  gospels  of  St.  Matthew  and 
St.  Luke,  and  from  the  Gospel  of  the  Nativity 
of  Mary.  It  is  depicted  in  fifteen  scenes,  which 
are  set  in  the  following  less  conspicuous  parts 
of  the  church.  The  first  eleven  are  in  the  north 
transept,  the  twelfth  at  the  angle  of  the  galleries 
of  the  nave  and  south  transept,  and  the  last 
three  in  the  vault  of  the  south  transept.  All 
the  eleven  in  the  north  transept  are  on  its  western 
vault  and  wall,  behind  the  gallery.     That  is  to 


THE  INFANCY  OF   OUR   LORD    211 

say,  if  we  stand  facing  the  large  tree,  the  work 
of  Bianchini,  from  a  drawing  by  Salviati 
(attributed  by  Mr.  Ruskin  to  Paolo  Veronese), 
which  represents  the  genealogy  of  Mary,  and 
which  is  a  late  addition  (1542-1555),  foreign  to 
our  Bible,  they  are  on  our  left  hand,  above  the 
door  of  the  atrium.     The  story  opens  with  : 

(i)  The  High  Priest  Praying  in  the 
Temple.  {South  or  left-hand  side  of  the 
vault ^ — This  mosaic  shows  the  interior  of  the 
temple,  and  the  High  Priest  praying  at  the 
altar.  On  his  turban  is  the  Petalon  (Ex.  xxviii. 
36),  which  bore  the  words  "  Holiness  to  the 
Lord."  Rays  of  light  descend  upon  the  altar 
to  show  that  his  prayer  is  heard  and  answered. 
Above  his  head  are  the  words  SCS.  Zacharias^ 
referring  to  John  the  Baptist's  father,  who  is 
sometimes,  but  erroneously,  supposed  to  have 
been  the  High  Priest.  To  understand  the 
picture  we  must  turn  to  the  Protovangelium  of 
St.  James^  and  the  Gospel  of  the  Nativity  of 
Mary.  In  these  writings  we  read  that  Mary 
was  dedicated  by  her  parents,  Anna  and 
Joachim,  to  the  Lord,  and,  like  Samuel,  was 
taken  when  a  child  to  the  temple,  and  left  there 
to  be  brought  up.  When  she  reached  the  age 
of  twelve,  or  fourteen,  it  was  deemed  inadvisable, 
and  against  custom,  to  retain  her  longer,  and  so 


212  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

a  council  of  priests  was  called.  Unable  to 
decide  of  themselves  how  to  dispose  of  her  the 
priests  agreed  that  Zacharias,  who  stood  "by 
the  altar  of  the  Lord,"  should  pray  for  divine 
guidance  in  the  matter.  The  mosaic  represents 
him  in  the  discharge  of  this  duty. 

(2)  The  High  Priest  returning  to 
Joseph  his  Rod,  and  confiding  to  him 
Mary. — Here  is  shown  the  answer  to  the  High 
Priest's  prayer.  He  was  divinely  instructed  to 
call  the  widowers  and  unmarried  men  of  the 
house  and  family  of  David  to  the  temple,  each 
of  whom  was  to  bring  his  rod  to  be  laid  up 
before  the  Lord,  and  he  whose  rod  should  bud, 
or  show  a  sign,  was  to  receive  Mary  as  his  wife, 
for  according  to  Isaiah,  "  A  rod  shall  come  forth 
from  the  root  of  Jesse  and  a  flower  shall  ascend 
from  this  root."  The  mosaic  shows  how,  as 
the  High  Priest  Zacharias  was  restoring  to  the 
men  their  rods,  that  of  Joseph  blossomed,  like 
Aaron's,  and  a  dove  alighted  upon  it.  He 
therefore  received  Mary,  who  is  represented 
stretching  out  her  arms  towards  him,  and 
led  her  away  to  his  home  in  Nazareth. 
Mary,  Joseph,  and  Zacharias,  have  each  their 
names  above  them  ;  and  with  reference  to  the 
whole  scene  there  are  inscribed  the  words  : 
Gignit  virga  nuces,  Hanc  uxorum  Hbi  duces. 


THE   INFANCY   OF   OUR    LORD     213 

(3)  Meeting  of  Mary  and  Elizabeth. 

— Over  the  heads  of  the  two  figures  are  the  words 

Hanna    and    Helisabet,   but    the    former    name 

must  have  been  inscribed  erroneously  by  some 

mosaic  restorer,  as  the  scene  represented  is  the 

meeting  of  Mary  and  Elizabeth,  of  which  we 

have   the  record   in   St.    Luke's  gospel    (ch.  i. 

39 — c^6),  as  well  as  in  the  Protovangelium  of  St. 

James.     Both  narratives  tell  of  Mary's  journey 

to  the  house  of  Elizabeth,  and  both  lay  emphasis 

on  the  significance  of  their  meeting,  although 

the    Magnificat   is    lacking    in    the    apocryphal 

writing.     A   servant   is  seen  drawing  aside  the 

door-curtain  and  gazing  with  earnest  curiosity. 

(4)  Joseph  chiding  Mary.  —  In  the 
Protovangelium  of  St.  James  we  read  that  some 
months  after  Mary's  return  from  her  sojourn 
with  EUzabeth,  Joseph,  who  had  been  absent  all 
the  time  working  at  his  trade,  came  at  length 
back  to  his  home,  when,  finding  Mary  "  in  her 
sixth  month,"  first  blamed  himself,  saying,  "  I 
received  her  a  virgin  out  of  the  temple  of  the 
Lord,  and  I  have  not  watched  over  her  ;  "  and 
then  rebuked  her,  saying,  "  Oh  thou,  who  hast 
been  cared  for  by  God,  why  hast  thou  done  this, 
and  forgotten  the  Lord  thy  God  V  In  the 
mosaic  Joseph  wears  a  look  of  severity,  whilst 
Mary  is  weeping  and  protesting  her  innocence. 


214  THE   NEW   TESTAMENT 

Joseph's  sons,  each  with  a  book  in  his  hand,  are 
seen  looking  on  from  behind.  Above  these 
two  mosaics  are  the  words  :  Os  fert  Helisaheth^ 
Maride^  crimina  Joseph. 

(5)  The  Annunciation  of  the  Birth 
of  Jesus  to  Mary.  {This,  and  the  three 
scenes  that  follow^  are  on  the  right,  or  northern, 
side  of  the  vault,  divided  from  the  foregoing  by 
a  beautiful  Greek  cross  which  has  in  the  spaces 
between  its  arms  the  prophets,  David,  Solomon, 
Habakkuk  and  Joel.) — Following  the  narrative 
of  the  Protovangelium  this  mosaic  makes  the 
scene  of  the  Annunciation  a  well,  over  which  a 
tree  casts  a  grateful  shadow.  Mary  is  crossing 
from  her  house-door  with  a  jug  in  her  hand  to 
draw  water,  when  she  is  accosted  by  the  angel 
Gabriel.  In  the  East  wells  are  always  favourite 
places  of  resort,  and  in  the  Old  Testament  story 
we  read  of  many  touching  and  beautiful  incidents 
happening  beside  them.  It  was  by  a  well  that 
Eliezer,  Abraham's  steward,  found  in  Rebekah 
a  wife  for  Isaac  ;  it  was  by  a  well  Jacob  met 
Rachael,  and  it  was  by  a  well  that  Moses  helped 
and  was  helped  by  the  daughters  of  the  priest  of 
Midian.  And  so  it  was  natural  that  this  incident 
of  far-reaching  importance  should  also  be  asso- 
ciated with  a  well.  The  subject  has  been  a 
favourite  one  with  poet  and  painter.     In  the 


Photo  by  C.  Naya 


ir.  H.  Harder  Co. 


THE   INFANCY  OF  OUR  LORD 
Scenes  5,  6,  7,  and  8 


THE   INFANCY   OF   OUR    LORD    215 

angel's  address  to  Mary,  and  in  Mary's  reply, 
the  Proiovangelium  does  not  materially  differ 
from  the  narrative  of  St.  Luke  i.  26-38. 

(6)  Mary  receiving  the  true  Purple 
and  Scarlet  for  the  Temple  Veil. — Ac- 
cording to  the  Protovangelium  at  a  council  of 
the  priests  it  was  decided  to  make  a  new  veil  for 
the  temple.  For  this  virgins  of  the  family 
of  David  were  to  be  employed,  and,  amongst 
them,  Mary  was  chosen.  When  they  were  all 
gathered  into  the  temple,  lots  were  cast  as  to  the 
portion  of  the  veil  each  should  work,  "  and  the 
true  purple  and  the  scarlet  fell  to  the  lot  of 
Mary,  and  she  took  them  and  went  away  to  her 
house."  The  mosaic  shows  Mary  receiving  the 
colours  in  a  vase  from  the  High  Priest.  A 
group  of  priests  stand  behind  her,  one  with  the 
roll  of  the  testimony.  The  words  referring  to 
this  and  the  preceding  mosaic  are  :  Nuntiat  ex- 
pavit^  duo  tingat  vela  paravit. 

(7)  The  Annunciation  of  the  Birth  of 
Jesus  to  Joseph. — This  might  be  taken  from 
the  Protovangelium^  but  it  is  more  probably 
from  the  gospel  of  St.  Matthew  (ch.  i.  18-25), 
which  contains  the  fuller  account.  It  represents 
the  removal  of  Joseph's  perplexity  as  to  what  to 
do  with  Mary.  Joseph  is  shown  asleep  on  his 
couch,  and  an  angel  of  the  Lord  appearing  to 


216  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

him  in  a  dream,  saying,  "Joseph,  thou  son  of 
David,  fear  not  to  take  unto  thee  Mary  thy 
wife,  for  that  which  is  conceived  in  her  is  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  And  she  shall  bring  forth  a  son, 
and  thou  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus,  for  he  shall 
save  his  people  from  their  sins."  The  words 
referring  to  this  mosaic  are  :  Angelus  hunc 
monuit. 

(8)  Joseph  and  Mary  going  to  Beth- 
lehem for  Enrolment. — There  is  here 
brought  before  us  the  journey  of  Joseph  and 
Mary  from  Nazareth  in  Galilee  to  Bethlehem  in 
Judea,  for  enrolment  according  to  the  decree  of 
Caesar  Augustus.  The  narrative  is  common  to 
the  Protovangelium  and  to  St.  Luke  (ch.  ii.  1-7). 
The  two  accounts  are  identical,  excepting  that  in 
the  former  it  is  said,  "  He  (Joseph)  saddled  the 
ass,  and  set  her  (Mary)  upon  it,  and  his  son  led 
it,  and  Joseph  followed."  In  the  mosaic  Mary, 
with  the  babe,  is  seated  on  a  white  ass,  whilst 
Joseph  walks  beside  her,  and  his  son  follows 
carrying  a  bundle  on  a  stick  over  his  shoulder. 
Above  them  are  the  words  :  Nunc  censum  solvere 
pergit. 

(9)  Joseph  Warned  to  fly  into  Egypt. 
{On  the  wall-space.)  —  As  in  a  preceding 
mosaic,  Joseph  is  seen  asleep,  receiving  a  divine 
message  from  an  angel  who  stands  beside   his 


THE  INFANCY   OF   OUR   LORD    217 

couch.  He  is  being  warned  of  Herod's  intention 
to  slay  all  the  young  male  children  of  Bethlehem, 
and    counselled    to    fly  into    Egypt   (Matt.   ii. 

13-15)- 

(10)  Joseph  and  Mary  returning  from 

Egypt. — The  return  from  Egypt  is  here  por- 
trayed. Mary,  with  the  child,  who  has  the 
cross-nimbus,  is  again  seated  on  a  white  ass. 
Joseph  goes  before,  and  has  his  hand  extended 
as  if  urging  their  departure.  A  palm-tree  and 
a  tower  suggest  Egypt.  Behind  them  is  a  lad, 
carrying  a  bundle  at  the  end  of  a  staff  across  his 
shoulder,  as  in  a  former  mosaic.  In  the  in- 
scription over  these  last  two  mosaics  the  word 
Pharia,  from  pharos^  a  light-house,  is  used  to 
designate  Egypt.  Hie  redit  a  Pharia^  Jesus 
cum  Matre  Maria. 

(11)  The  Child  Jesus  in  the  Temple. 
— The  child  Jesus,  now  twelve  years  of  age, 
and  therefore  "  a  son  of  the  law,"  because  held 
personally  responsible  for  its  observance,  is  here 
represented  sitting  in  the  midst  of  the  doctors  in 
the  temple,  both  hearing  them  and  asking  them 
questions  (Luke  ii.  41-52).  Behind  Christ's 
head  is  the  cross-nimbus.  Above  the  mosaic 
is  inscribed  :  Inter  doctores  sedet^  hie  sapentia 
floret. 

Beneath  these  three  last  mosaics,  filling  up  the 


218  THE   NEW   TESTAMENT 

wall-space,  is  depicted  the  story  of  Susanna  in 
six  compartments,  being  mainly  late  sixteenth- 
century  work  (1588-1591),  from  cartoons  of 
Tintoretto  and  Palma  Giovane.  Both  the  sub- 
ject and  the  style  of  its  execution  are  out  of 
place  in  our  Bible. 

(12)  The  Massacre  of  the  Innocents. 
(As  I  have  already  said,  this  is  in  the  south 
transept,  where  its  gallery  meets  that  of  the 
nave.) — This  mosaic  is  invisible  from  the  floor 
of  the  church,  nor  would  it  matter  if  it  were 
invisible  from  every  point.  It  is  a  repulsive 
modern  one,  the  work  of  Angelo  Roncato, 
from  a  cartoon  of  Pietro  Vecchia  (1652). 

(13)  The  Annunciation.  {This,  and  the 
two  following  mosaics  which  complete  this 
chapter,  are  in  the  vault  above  the  choir 
screen.  They  are  all  modern,  and  out  of  place 
both  as  to  style  and  to  workmanship.  They 
are  by  Giannantonio  Marini,  from  cartoons  by 
Tintoretto.) — This  subject  we  have  already  had 
brought  before  us  (mosaic  5),  and  if  we  glance 
across  to  the  north  transept,  where  Mary  is 
represented  receiving  the  Annunciation  by  a 
well,  and  then  look  at  this,  the  contrast  strikes 
one  painfully.  Here  Mary  is  depicted  kneeling 
at  a  fald-stool,  reading  a  book,  while  an  angel 
above  holds  towards  her  a  lily.     The  inscription 


THE   INFANCY   OF    OUR    LORD     219 

is  :  Angelus  et  Virgo  verbo  quoque  Spiritus 
almus.  Nunciat  ista  favet  et  caro  fit  reples  ohum- 
brat. 

(14)  The  Adoration  of  the  Magi.— 
The  Magi,  here  attired  as  kings,  with  jewelled 
crowns  on  their  heads,  and  massive  chains  of  gold 
around  their  necks,  present  to  the  child  Jesus 
on  Mary's  knee,  their  gifts,  which  Mr.  Ruskin 
calls,  "  What  is  best  in  brightness,  best  in  sweet- 
ness, best  in  bitterness — gold,  frankincense,  and 
myrrh."  Two  are  young  and  one  is  old,  and 
this  latter,  kneeling,  has  laid  his  crown  at  the 
infant's  feet.  Joseph  stands  in  the  background. 
The  star  is  seen  over  the  house,  and  angels  in 
the  sky  bear  a  scroll  with  the  letters  C.  E.  Z.., 
suggesting — what  probably  was  once  inscribed 
on  it — Gloria  in  Excehis. 

(15)  The  Presentation  in  the  Temple. 
— Mary  and  Joseph  have  come  up  to  the  temple 
to  present  the  child  Jesus  to  the  Lord,  bringing 
with  them  for  sacrifice  a  pair  of  turtle  doves. 
The  High  Priest  has  carried  out  the  dedication 
by  setting  the  child  on  the  altar,  on  which  also 
has  been  placed  the  offering.  Mary,  Joseph, 
the  aged  Simeon,  and  others  are  present  (Luke  ii. 
22-38).  Because  the  mosaic  is  of  late  date,  it 
has  not  a  few  adjuncts  that  are  foreign  to  the 
temple  service.     The  turban  of  the  High  Priest 


220  THE   NEW   TESTAMENT 

is  changed  to  a  mitre,  and  an  attendant  carries 
the  train  of  his  robe,  whilst  a  woman  holds  a 
lighted  candle.     The  inscription  is  : 

Fertur  in  exemplo^  Jesus  pur  a  hostia  templo; 
Qui  redimit  servos.,  verus  Deus  atque  sacerdos. 

(The  visit  of  the  Magi,  the  flight  into  Egypt, 
and  the  Massacre  of  the  Innocents,  are  repeated 
in  the  Baptistery,  see  Appendix,  Note  C.) 


CHAPTER    II 

OUR   LORD'S  PREPARATION   FOR   HIS 
PUBLIC    MINISTRY 

(i)  The    Baptism    of    Christ.     {In  the 

vault  above  the  choir  screen.)  —  As  "  Jesus 
himself  began  to  be  about  thirty  years  of 
age "  (Luke  iii.  23),  the  time  had  come  when 
He  should  leave  the  seclusion  of  His  home  to 
enter  upon  the  duties  of  His  public  ministry. 
Accordingly,  the  first  step  taken  in  preparation 
for  this  crisis  in  His  life  was  to  leave  Nazareth, 
in  Galilee,  and,  travelling  southward,  to  where 
John,  His  forerunner,  was  baptizing  by  the  banks 
of  the  Jordan,  in  Judea,  to  offer  Himself  for 
baptism.  The  Baptist,  we  know,  hesitated  to 
baptize  his  Lord,  saying,  "  I  have  need  to  be 
baptized  of  thee,  and  comest  thou  to  me  ?  "  He, 
who  came,  however,  not  to  destroy  the  law,  but 
to  fulfil  it,  overcame  John's  scruples  by  saying, 
"  Suffer  it  to  be  so  now,  for  thus  it  becometh 


THE   NEW   TESTAMENT 

us  to  fulfil  all  righteousness."  Then  we  read, 
"  He  suffered  him."  In  this  mosaic  Jesus 
Christ  is  standing  in  the  river  Jordan — 
whilst  John,  on  the  bank,  pours  water  upon 
His  head  from  a  shell.  A  lamb  reclines  at  the 
Baptist's  feet,  and  behind  him  a  spring  of  water 
gushes  out  of  the  hill-side.  There  is  also  a 
representation  of  what  is  told  us  in  St.  Mark's 
narrative  that,  "  straightway  coming  up  out  of 
the  water,  he  saw  the  heavens  opened,  and  the 
Spirit,  like  a  dove,  descending  upon  him,"  in 
which  spiritual  anointing  we  may  see  a  fulfil- 
ment of  the  words  of  Isaiah,  that  there  should 
"  rest  upon  him,  the  spirit  of  wisdom  and  under- 
standing, the  spirit  of  counsel  and  might,  the 
spirit  of  knowledge,  and  of  the  fear  of  the  Lord." 
It  is  to  be  regretted  that  this  sublime  scene  in 
the  preparation  of  our  Lord  for  his  life's  work, 
by  which  He  was,  as  it  were,  set  apart  and  con- 
secrated for  it,  and  proclaimed  before  the  world 
to  be  by  sign  and  word  God's  Son,  and  the 
Messiah,  is  depicted  in  one  of  those  vulgar  and 
theatrical  mosaics,  already  referred  to —  the  work 
of  Giannantonio  Marini. 

(Another  mosaic  of  the  Baptism  of  Christ  is  in 
the  Baptistery.     See  Appendix,  Note  D.  8.) 

(2)  The  Temptation  of  Christ.  {In  north 
vault  of  south   transept.)  —  Closely    connected 


OUR   LORD'S   PREPARATION 

with  the  Baptism  of  Christ  is  His  Temptation. 
In  the  former,  as  Archbishop  Trench  has  said, 
'*  He  received  His  heavenly  armour,  and  now 
He  goes  forth  to  prove  it."  The  mosaic 
which  sets  the  Temptation  before  us  is  one 
of  the  oldest  in  the  church,  and  is,  according 
to  Mr.  Ruskin,  "  entirely  characteristic  of  the 
Byzantine  mythic  manner  of  teaching."  It  sets 
forth  the  threefold  Temptation  in  the  order 
observed  in  St.  Matthew's  gospel. 

(a)  Christ  is  depicted  sitting  high  up  on  a 
rugged  hill-side,  under  a  sheltering  rock,  with  a 
scroll  in  His  hand.  This  wilderness  country  is  in 
keeping  with  the  description  in  "  The  Land  and 
the  Book,"  of  the  Quarantania,  the  wilderness 
that  goeth  up  from  Jericho,  the  traditional  scene 
of  the  Temptation.  The  Devil,  or  as  St.  Mark 
calls  him,  Satan  (the  Adversary),  in  the  form  of 
a  small  black  figure  with  wings,  naked,  save  for 
a  greenish  cloth  round  his  loins,  is  poised  beneath 
the  Saviour,  holding  up  to  Him,  who  is  doubtless 
feeling  the  pangs  of  hunger  after  His  forty  days 
fast,  a  quantity  of  stones  in  the  fold  of  his 
garment.  Thus,  as  if  in  sympathy  with  Him  in 
His  distress,  he  tempts  Him,  saying,  "  If  Thou 
be  the  Son  of  God  (as  at  your  baptism  you  were 
declared  to  be),  command  that  these  stones  be 
made  bread."     Christ's  right  hand  is  raised  as  if 


224  THE   NEW   TESTAMENT 

replying,  with  special  reference  to  the  scroll  of 
God's  word  in  His  left  hand,  "  It  is  written  man 
shall  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by  every  word 
that  proceedeth  out  of  the  word  of  God."  He 
resists  the  gratification  of  material  appetite  at  the 
expense  of  trust  in  God.  He  places  spirit  above 
body,  crushes  "the  lust  of  the  flesh,"  and  in 
obeying  His  Father's  will,  virtually  says,  "I 
have  meat  to  eat  that  ye  know  not  of." 

(^b)  Christ  is  seen  standing  on  a  dome-Hke 
structure  raised  on  a  tower,  "  Herod's  royal 
portico,"  the  "  pinnacle  of  the  temple "  over- 
hanging the  ravine  of  Kedron.  Before  Him 
Satan  is  again  poised  in  space,  and  tempts  Him 
to  manifest  in  a  wrong  way  His  Divine  Sonship, 
by  throwing  Himself  down  into  the  abyss,  and 
thus  put  to  the  proof  the  promise  made  that 
God  would  give  His  angels  charge  concerning 
Him  to  bear  Him  up  in  their  hands  (Ps.  xci.). 
Christ's  left  hand  still  holds  the  scroll,  to  which 
He  once  more  refers,  as  with  outstretched  right 
hand  He  answers,  balancing  Scripture  with 
Scripture,  "It  is  written  again  thou  shalt  not 
tempt  the  Lord  thy  God."  Thus  the  tempta- 
tion to  spiritual  pride  and  presumption  was 
resisted. 

{c)  Christ,   in    the    same  attitude  as  before, 
stands  on  the  top  of  a  peaked  mountain,  perhaps 


OUR   LORD'S   PREPARATION        225 

the  high  and  precipitous  Quarantania.  Its 
whole  summit  is  strewn  with  piles  of  gold,  to 
represent  "  the  kingdoms  of  this  world,  and  the 
glory  of  them,"  which  "the  prince  of  this  world" 
showed  Him  in  a  moment  of  time, 

By  what  strange  parallax  or  optic  skill 
Of  vision,  multiplied  through  air,  or  glass 
Of  telescope,  were  fruitless  to  inquire. 

Satan,  thus  tempting  Christ  to  forego  obtain- 
ing these — "  his  purchased  possession  " — by  a 
life  of  suffering  and  a  death  of  shame,  offers 
them  all  to  Him  at  once,  if  He  will  but  fall  down 
and  worship  him.  As  the  consequence  of 
Christ's  words,  "  Get  thee  hence,  Satan,  for  it  is 
written,  thou  shalt  worship  the  Lord  thy  God, 
and  him  only  shalt  thou  serve,"  Satan  is  seen 
plunging  headlong,  bat-like,  into  space,  and 
angels  appear  in  the  sky  ministering  unto  Christ, 
the  Prince  of  Light,  who  has  thus,  unscathed, 
put  to  flight  the  Prince  of  Darkness,  and  has 
also  qualified  Himself  "  to  succour  those  who  are 
tempted,"  proving  for  His  followers  for  all 
time  the  truth  of  the  words,  "  Resist  the  devil, 
and  he  will  flee  from  you." 

On  the  narrow  arch  between  this  vault  and 
the  cupola  of  the  south  transept,  is  a  figure  of 
Moses  bearing  an  open  scroll,  on  which  are  the 

p 


226  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

texts,  all  taken  from  the  writings  of  the  great 
prophet  and  law-giver,  by  which  our  Saviour 
baffled  Satan. 

Non  in  solo  pane  vivat  homo  (Deut.  viii.  3). 

Non  tentabis  Dominum  (Deut.  vi.  16). 

Deum  tuum  adorahis^  et  illi  soli  servies  (Deut. 
X.  20). 

(For  the  Life  of  Christ's  Forerunner,  see 
Appendix,  Note  D.) 


CHAPTER   III 

THE  DISCOURSES   OF   OUR   LORD 

The  compilers  of  our  New  Testament  realised, 
as  indeed,  taking  St.  Mark's  gospel  as  the  ground- 
work of  their  teaching,  they  were  naturally  led  to 
do,  that  Christ  gathered  up  in  His  own  person 
all  His  teaching.  They  felt  that  whilst  other 
prophets  and  teachers  separated  themselves  from 
the  truths  they  taught,  Christ  identified  Himself 
with  His  every  utterance — that  He  did  not  say, 
"  I  show  the  way,  I  teach  the  truth,  I  explain 
life,  I  demonstrate  the  resurrection,"  but  "  I  am 
the  way,  the  truth  and  the  life,"  "I  am  the 
resurrection  and  the  life."  They  realised,  in 
short,  that  Christianity  is  not  a  system  of  abstract 
doctrine,  and  that  what  makes  a  Christian  is  not 
subscription  to  a  creed,  but  that  Christianity  is 
Christ,  and  that  a  Christian  is  one  who  believes 
in  Him.  Hence  they  have  recorded  but  few  of 
Christ's  discourses,  and  those  they  have  recorded, 


228  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

as  will  appear  to  us  in  reading  them, have  reference 
almost  always  to  Himself. 

"  From  the  rising  of  the  sun,  even  unto  the 
going  down  of  the  same,"  Christ's  name  was  to 
be  "  great  among  the  Gentiles,"  and  so  eastward 
and  westward  in  the  church,  in  the  apse  towards 
the  rising  sun,  and  above  the  western  door 
towards  its  setting,  Christ,  the  Teacher,  sits  en- 
throned, "  His  line  going  out  to  all  the  earth, 
and  His  words  to  the  end  of  the  world." 

(i)  Inauguration  of  His  public  Minis- 
try at  Nazareth.  {In  the  apse.) — Filling  the 
lunette  of  the  apse  is  a  large  mosaic  of  our  Lord, 
which  represents  Him  sitting  in  the  act  of  teach- 
ing, with  the  closed  book  of  the  law,  from  which 
He  has  been  reading,  resting  edgeways  on  His 
knee,  and  supported  by  His  right  hand.  Unfor- 
tunately, it  is  not  in  its  original  condition,  having 
suffered  considerably  from  sixteenth-century  res- 
toration. This  mosaic,  supplemented  by  those 
in  the  cupola  above  the  altar,  sets  before  us  the 
first  recorded  discourse  of  our  Lord,  with  which, 
so  to  say,  He  inaugurated  His  public  ministry. 
Entering  the  synagogue  of  Nazareth  as  a  teacher 
— which  He  must  often  have  done  before  as  a 
learner,  for  Nazareth  was  His  home,  and  there  He 
was  "  brought  up  " — "  there  was  delivered  unto 
him  the  book  of  the  prophet  Esaias.    And  when 


DISCOURSES    OF    OUR    LORD       229 

he  had  opened  the  book,  he  found  the  place 
where  it  was  written,  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is 
upon  me,  because  he  hath  anointed  me  to  preach 
the  gospel  to  the  poor  ;  he  hath  sent  me  to  heal 
the  broken-hearted,  to  preach  deliverance  to  the 
captives,  and  recovering  of  sight  to  the  blind, 
to  set  at  liberty  them  that  are  bruised,  to  preach 
the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord."  And  closing 
the  book  He  began  to  say  unto  them,  "  This  day 
is  this  Scripture  fulfilled  in  your  ears."  "  The 
passage  read,"  says  Dean  Alford,  "  stands  in  the 
middle  of  the  third  great  division  of  the  book  of 
Isaiah,  that  namely,  which  comprises  the  pro- 
phecies of  the  person,  offices,  sufferings,  triumph, 
and  Church  of  the  Messiah  ;  and  thus  by 
implication  announces  the  fulfilment  of  all  that 
went  before,  in  Him  who  then  addressed  them." 
In  harmony  with  this  there  is  another  figure  of 
Christ  in  the  apex  of  the  cupola,  around  and 
beneath  which  is  a  circle  of  Old  Testament 
prophets,  each  holding  an  open  scroll,  on  which 
is  inscribed  a  Messianic  prediction.  These, 
identifying  the  Christ  of  prophecy  above  them, 
with  the  Christ  of  history  below,  seem  to  say 
with  one  voice  that  echoes  round  the  dome, 
"  These  things  we  uttered  when  we  saw  his  glory 
and  spake  of  him."  The  prophets  and  their 
prophecies  are  the  following  : 


230  THE   NEW   TESTAMENT 

Isaiah  (ch.  vii.  14). — Ecce  virgo  concipiet^  et 
parte t  Jilium,  et  vocahitur  Emmanuel.  (Be- 
hold a  Virgin  shall  conceive  and  bear  a  son, 
and  shall  call  his  name  Emmanuel.) 

Jeremiah  (ch.  iii.  16).  (Really  from  the  book  of 
Baruch,  Jeremiah's  friend.) — Hie  est  inquit^ 
Dominus  noster^  et  non  asti.  (This  is,  I 
say,  our  God,  and  we  shall  not  esteem 
another  in  comparison  with  him.) 

Daniel  (ch.  ix.  24-27). — Cum  venerit  Sanctus 
Sanctorum  cessahit  unctio.  (When  the  Most 
Holy  One  shall  come,  the  oblation  shall 
cease.)  The  words  gather  up  the  gist  of 
Daniel's  prophecy. 

Obadiah  (ch.  i.  21). — Ascendit Salvator  in  montem 
Syon  et  erit  regnum  Domino.  (And  the 
Saviour  shall  come  up  on  Mount  Zion,  and 
the  kingdom  shall  be  the  Lord's.) 

Habakkuk  (ch.  iii.  3). — Deus  ah  austro  veyiiet,  et 
Sanctus  de  Monte  Pharan.  (God  came  from 
the  south,  or  Teman,  and  the  Holy  One 
from  Mount  Paran.) 

Hosea  (ch.  vi.  2). — In  die  tercia  susitabit  nos  et 
vivemus.  (In  the  third  day  he  shall  raise 
us  up,  and  we  shall  live.) 

Jonah  (ch.  iii.  8), — Convertatur  vir  a  via  sua 
mala^  et  ab  iniquitate.  (And  let  every  man  turn 
from  his  evil  way,  and  from  his  iniquity.) 


....,J..)M     ■-  rr?' 


DISCOURSES   OF    OUR    LORD       231 

Zephaniah  (ch,   ii.   3). —  dnerite  Dominum  omnes 

mansueti  terr^.     (Seek  ye  the  Lord,  all  ye 

meek  of  the  earth.) 
Haggai    (ch.    ii.     7). — Ecce    veniet    desideratus 

cunctis  gentihus.     (Behold  the  desire  of  all 

nations  shall  come.) 
Zechariah  (ch.  vi.    12). — Ecce  vir  oriens  nomen 

ejus.   (Behold  the  man  whose  name  is  "  The 

Branch.") 
Malachi  (ch.  iii.   i). — Ecce  mitto  angelum  meum 

ante  faciem  tuam,  qui  pr^parabit  viam  tuam. 

(Behold,  I  shall  send  mine  angel  before  thy 

face,  who  shall  prepare  thy  way.) 
Solomon  (Cant.  vi.  10.) — Qji^e  est  ista  quce  ascendit 

sicut  aurora  consurgens.     (Who  is  she  that 

ascends  like  the  rising  morning.) 
David  (Ps.   cxxxii.  11). — De  fructu  ventris  tui 

ponani  super  sedem  meam.     (Of  the  fruit  of 

thy  body  will  I  set  upon  thy  throne.) 
In  the  spandrels  of  the  cupola  are  the  four 
Living  Creatures,  not,  however,  those  of  Ezekiel's 
vision,  but  those  of  the  Apocalypse,  for  each  has 
"  six  wings  about  him,"  and  the  words  written 
over  them  have  reference  to  the  opening  of  the 
book,  sealed  with  seven  seals.  The  following  is 
the  order  : 

The  Lion=St.  Mark — Ciuaque  sub  obscuris. 
„    Angel =St.  Luke — De  Crista  dicta  figuris. 


232  THE   NEW   TESTAMENT 

The  Eagle  =  St.  John — His  aperire  datur. 
„  Ox=St,  Matthew — Et  in  his  Deus  ipse 
notatur. 
(Whatever  things  under  obscure  figures  have  been 
said  of  Christ,  it  is  given  to  these  to  unveil,  and 
in  them  God  Himself  is  known.)  St.  Matthew 
also  bears  the  words  :  Fuitin  diehus  Herodis  regis 
(It  was  in  the  days  of  Herod,  the  King  .  .  .). 
Lastly,  on  the  edge  of  the  apse,  encircling,  as  it 
were,  the  figure  of  Christ,  are  the  words  : 

Sum  Rex  cunctorum,  caro  factus  amove  reorum 
Ne  aesperetis  venire  dum  tempus  habetis. 

(Similar  Old  Testament  witness  to  Jesus  is 
inscribed  in  the  Baptistery.  See  Appendix, 
Note  E.) 

(2)  The  Door  of  the  Sheep-fold. 
{Above  the  main  entrance.^  —  Looking  now 
westward,  down  the  nave  of  the  church,  another 
large  mosaic  of  Christ  is  seen,  framed  in  marble, 
and  set  above  the  main  entrance.  The  subject 
of  this  mosaic,  the  conspicuous  position  assigned 
to  it,  the  text  of  scripture  gleaming  on  the  open 
pages  of  the  book,  the  inscriptions  round  and 
above  it,  all  mark  it  out  as  one  of  supreme 
importance — one,  indeed,  that  strikes  the  key- 
note of  the  church.  It  represents  Christ  sitting 
robed  in  royal  purple  and  blue,  behind  His  head 


Millo  Bortohtzzi. 


Water ioiu  &  Sous. 


ST.     MARK'S      VENICE. 

"  I   am  the   Dnnr." 


DISCOURSES   OF   OUR   LORD       233 

the  golden  disc  marked  with  the  shadow  of  the 
cross,  and  the  monogram  i-C  X-C,  'If/dowg 
Xpiarog  (Jesus  Christ).  At  His  right  hand  is 
Mary,  with,  as  usual,  a  simple  circlet  of  gold 
behind  her  head,  her  monogram,  and  her  hands 
raised  in  prayer.  On  Christ's  left  hand  is 
St.  Mark  in  a  similar  attitude  of  worship  and 
with  a  similar  nimbus.  Christ,  thus  adored, 
has  His  right  hand  raised  in  the  act  of  blessing, 
whilst  His  left  holds  a  Bible  on  His  knee,  the 
outspread  pages  of  which,  turned  full  towards 
the  spectator,  bear  in  large  letters  the  words  : 
Ego  sum  hostium,  per  me  si  q^jis  introierit, 
Salvabitur   et  pascua  inveniet  (John  x.  9) 

(I  AM  THE  DOOR  :  BY  ME  IF  ANY  MAN 
ENTER      IN      HE      SHALL      BE      SAVED,    .     .      .      AND 

FIND  pasture).  The  selection  of  these 
words,  taken  from  our  Lord's  parables  of 
the  Sheep-fold  Door,  and  the  Good  Shepherd, 
are  most  significant.  They  sum  up  more  fully 
than  any  other  words  of  equal  number  in 
the  whole  range  of  the  New  Testament,  the 
message  of  the  Gospel,  for  they  proclaim  the 
feeding  and  the  folding  of  the  flock,  safety  and 
sustenance,  protection  and  provision  for  every 
man,  and  for  all  men,  in  Jesus  Christ  alone, 
independent  of  all  else  besides.  And  for  this 
reason,  according  to  the  rules  of  the  School  of 


234  THE   NEW   TESTAMENT 

Mount  Athos  for  church  decoration,  they  were 
usually  put  over  the  main  door,  to  be  read  by 
those  entering.  Their  transference  to  the  inside 
of  the  church  in  this  case  is  appropriate,  as  they 
form  an  integral  part  of  our  New  Testament. 
In  connection  with  this  mosaic  there  are  carved 
on  the  red  marble  arch  that  frames  it  the  words  : 
Janua  sum  vit^,  per  me,  mea  membra  venite 
(I  am  the  gate  of  life,  O  my  members  enter 
BY  me)  ;  and  on  the  band  of  the  same  material 
that  crosses  the  church  under  the  gallery  :   Quis 

FUERIT,  DE  Q.UO  TE  QUO  PRECIOQUE  REDEMIT, 
ET  cur    TIBl     FECIT,   ET    DEDIT    OMNIA,   MENTE 

REVOLVE    (Who    He    was,    and     for    what 

PURPOSE,  AND  AT  WHAT  PRICE  He  REDEEMED 
THEE,  AND  WHY  He  DID  THIS  FOR  THEE  AND 
GAVE  THEE   ALL   THINGS,   CONSIDER). 

(3)  The     Sermon     on     the     Mount. 

{North  transept  cupola.)  —  One  would  think 
that  the  compilers  of  our  New  Testament, 
having  shown  in  the  preceding  discourses  that 
a  Christian  is  one  who  has  union  with  Christ, 
now  wished  to  show  that  the  possession  of  this 
union  will  manifest  itself  in  the  life,  that 
man  "  in  Christ "  will  "  live  Christ,"  that  his 
faith  will  show  itself  by  his  works.  And  this 
they  have  done  in  the  cupola  of  the  north 
transept  in  a  wonderful  way.     In   its   topmost 


DISCOURSES   OF   OUR    LORD       235 

height  they  have  set  a  beautiful  Greek  cross, 
and  in  its  centre,  from  which  radiate  the  four 
equal  arms,  they  have  placed  eight  Greek  letters 
in  a  circle.  What  these  letters  signify  is 
obscure,  but  they  suggest  to  my  mind  the 
words  which,  according  to  Byzantine  custom, 
were  often  inscribed  in  like    positions,  IHC  XP 

nANTOKPATQP        (JeSUS        ChRIST       AlMIGHTy). 

Then  close  to  this  centre  in  the  north  and 
south  arms  of  the  cross,  they  have  put  an  alpha, 
and  in  the  same  position  in  the  east  and  west 
ones  an  omega ,  showing  how  all  is  summed  up 
in  Christ,  who  is  "  Alpha  and  Omega,  the 
beginning  and  the  ending,  which  is,  and  which 
was,  and  which  is  to  come,  the  Almighty." 
Then,  on  the  arms  of  the  cross,  they  have 
inscribed  a  paraphrase  in  Latin  rhyme  of  that 
precept  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  which  is 
the  key-note  of  the  whole  sermon,  and  which, 
if  carried  out,  would  fulfil  "  the  law  and  the 
prophets,"  and  bring  in  an  era  of  universal 
peace  and  brotherhood,  righteousness  and  kind- 
ness, the  Golden  Rule,  the  Royal  Law, 
"  Therefore  all  things  whatsoever  ye  would 
that  men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to 
them,  for  this  is  the  Law  and  the  Prophets." 
The  paraphrase  is  as  follows  : 


236  THE   NEW   TESTAMENT 

duod  tibi  vis  fieri     =  On  the  east  arm  of  the  cross 
Hoc  facias  alter i       =        „    west         „        ,, 
Ciuodtibinonplaceas=         ,,    north       „        ,, 
Alteri  non  facias      —         ,,    south       „       „ 

Lastly,  on  either  side  of  the  windows  in  the 
cupola,  which  look  due  east  and  west,  are  the 
symbols  of  the  four  Evangelists.  Above  the 
head  of  the  Eagle  (St.  John)  is  the  word 
Chris tus ;  above  that  of  the  Ox  (St.  Matthew), 
Chris tus  Imperat ;  above  that  of  the  Angel  (St. 
John),  Chris  tus  Regnat ;  and  above  that  of  the 
Lion  (St.  Mark),  Christus  Vincit.  So  thus  there 
circle  round  the  cupola :  Christ ;  Christ  com- 
mands ;  Christ  reigns  ;  Christ  conquers. 

(There  are  also  depicted  here  some  traditional 
scenes  in  the  life  of  St.  John  the  Evangehst,  but 
these  I  describe  in  chapter  x.,  "  The  Acts  of 
the  Apostles.") 

(4)  Parable  of  the  Two  Debtors.  {On 
south  vault  of  north  transept^ — On  the  edge 
of  the  arch  next  the  vault  are  written  the 
words :  Femina  peccasti,  tibi  parce  minus 
amasti^  showing  that  this  mosaic  originally 
had  reference  to  the  woman  who  was  a  sinner, 
who  washed  our  Saviour's  feet  with  tears,  and 
anointed  them  with  precious  ointment  in  Simon 
the  Pharisee's  house,  on  which  occasion  our 
Saviour  answered  his  host's  unuttered  thought 


o  ^- 


5  ° 


DISCOURSES   OF   OUR   LORD       237 

by  the  parable  of  the  Two  Debtors.  The  words 
also  show  that  the  incident  is  that  related  by 
Luke,  which  the  Venetians,  following  the  Greek 
Fathers,  distinguished  from  the  feet-washing 
recorded  by  the  other  three  Evangelists.  Some 
late  mosaic  worker,  restoring  this  scene,  and 
not  understanding  it,  has  given  it  the  appear- 
ance of  the  Last  Supper. 

(5)  The  Living  Water.  {On  east  vault 
of  south  transept.) — This  discourse  of  our  Lord 
is  represented  in  two  parts.  First,  Christ  is 
shown  sitting,  wearied  with  His  journey  and 
the  midday  heat,  by  the  old  historic  well  of 
Jacob,  outside  Sichar  or  Shechem.  The  well 
is  made  Venetian  in  character,  and  the  water 
in  it  is  represented  by  the  usual  wavy  white 
and  blue  lines.  Our  Lord's  right  hand  is 
extended  as  He  discourses  to  the  Samaritan 
woman,  who  has  come  to  draw  water,  of  that 
living  water  which  He,  who  is  the  fountain  of 
life,  has  to  give,  "  of  which  if  one  drink  he  will 
never  thirst  again  ;  "  and  of  that  spiritual 
worship  which  is  independent  of  all  local 
centres  and  all  times  and  seasons.  In  the 
second  part  the  woman  is  depicted  talking  to  a 
group  of  men  about  Christ,  "  witnessing  a  good 
confession,"  and  saying  to  them,  with  both 
hands  raised  in  her  excited  eagerness,  "  Come 


238  THE   NEW   TESTAMENT 

see  a  man  which  told  me  all  things  that  ever 
I  did."  On  the  mosaic  are  the  following  inscrip- 
tions :  Dat  potum  sane  fons  vivus  Samaritane. 
Venite  mdetehominem  qui  mihi  dixit  omnia  que  feci. 
(6)  The  Call  of  Zacchaeus. — {On  east 
vault  of  south  transept.) — This  mosaic  very 
well  represents  the  call  of  Zacchasus,  which  was 
also  the  occasion  of  our  Saviour's  proclaiming 
His  world-wide  mission  in  the  words  :  "  The 
Son  of  Man  is  come  to  seek  and  to  save  that 
which  is  lost,"and  His  speaking  the  parable  of  the 
Ten  Pounds.  Jesus,  followed  by  His  disciples 
and  a  crowd  of  people,  was  passing,  as  St.  Luke 
(ch.  xix.  i-io)  tells  us,  through  Jericho  on  His 
last  journey  to  Jerusalem,  when  He  saw 
Zacchasus,  the  chief  of  the  publicans  of  Jericho, 
and  a  man  of  wealth  and  influence,  amongst  the 
branches  of  a  wayside  sycamore  tree,  into  which 
he  had  climbed  in  order  to  see  Jesus,  as  being 
little  of  stature  he  had  failed  to  get  near  him 
because  of  the  press.  Our  Lord,  with  a  scroll  in 
His  left  hand,  is  represented  raising  His  right 
towards  Zacchasus,  and,  adopting  the  royal 
style,  is  commanding  him  to  come  down  for 
He  was  going  graciously,  as  a  king  invites  him- 
self, to  abide  at  his  house  that  day.  Precipis, 
alme  Deus  ;  properans  descendo  Zacheus. 


X    > 


^  « 

>,  M 


CHAPTER   IV 

THE   MIRACLES   OF   OUR   LORD 

We  have  just  read  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  in 
the  north  transept  cupola,  and  now,  if  we  look 
below  at  the  Vaults  sustaining  it,  we  shall 
find  the  "  word  confirmed  by  signs  following." 
All  these  vaults,  with  the  exception  of  the 
western  one,  which,  as  we  have  seen,  is  devoted 
to  our  Lord's  infancy,  are  inscribed  with  mosaics 
which  set  forth  His  miracles,  and  the  series 
extends  itself  into  the  south  transept  as  well. 
We  shall,  therefore,  begin  our  study  of  them  by 
remembering  the  words  of  Augustine  :  "  All 
the  acts  of  the  Word  are  themselves  words  for 
us,  they  are  not  as  pictures  merely  to  look  at 
and  admire,  but  as  letters  which  we  must  seek 
to  read  and  understand." 

(i)  The  Turning  of  Water  into  Wine. 
{On  south  vault  of  north  transept.)  —  The 
apostle  St.  John,  discrediting  all  the  meaningless 


240  THE   NEW   TESTAMENT 

miracles  attributed  to  the  child  Jesus  in  the 
Apocryphal  gospels,  tells  us  that  the  Turning 
of  Water  into  Wine  was  the  first  miracle  our 
Lord  ever  wrought,  "  This  beginning  of  miracles 
did  Jesus,  and  manifested  forth  his  glory  (glory 
possessed  before,  but  concealed  till  now),  and 
his  disciples  believed  on  him"  (John  ii.  i-ii). 
Appropriately  did  a  miracle  that  typified  the 
whole  transforming,  regenerating,  ennobling 
work  of  Jesus  inaugurate  "  the  birthday  of  His 
power,"  The  mosaic,  above  which  is  inscribed, 
"  Nuptide  in  Cana  Gallic, ''  shows  a  happy 
marriage  festival.  Christ  is  at  the  head  of  the 
table  ;  next  Him  is  Mary,  and  then  the  bride 
and  bridegroom.  At  the  further  end  is  seen  a 
servant  pouring  out,  from  a  large  stone  water- 
pot,  the  water  turned  into  wine,  and  bearing  it 
"  to  the  governor  of  the  feast."  A  conspicuous 
figure  in  the  foreground  is  a  man  with  a  violin, 
no  doubt  put  there  by  Tintoretto,  from  whose 
cartoon  it  was  made  (1568-1571),  to  emphasise 
the  sanction  our  Lord  gave  by  His  presence  to 
all  natural  and  innocent  enjoyments.  This 
miracle  was  a  favourite  subject  in  Christian  art  ; 
and  that  the  compilers  of  our  New  Testament 
realised  its  importance,  and  wished  to  draw 
special  attention  to  it,  is  seen  by  their  having 
written  on  the  edge  of  the  arch  next  the  vault 


THE   MIRACLES   OF  OUR   LORD    241 

the   words  :     Hie   aqua  fit   vinum,    lex    gratia 
fiamme  mirum. 

(2)  The  Cleansing  of  the  Leper.  {On 
south  vault  of  north  transept.) — Above  the  former 
mosaic  is  this  one  representing  Christ  curing 
the  loathsome,  and,  so  far  as  human  skill  then 
availed,  the  incurable  disease  of  leprosy.  As 
it  is  a  modern  mosaic  by  Bozza,  from  a  cartoon 
of  Paolo  Veronese  (1566-68),  no  care  has  been 
taken  to  represent  the  lepers  observing  the 
Mosaic  regulations  regarding  the  disease,  which 
however  were  more  religious  than  sanitary,  as 
leprosy  was  the  symbol  of  the  corruption  and 
impurity  of  sin,  and  of  the  separation  it  brings 
between  God  and  man.  On  either  side  of 
Christ  stands  a  leper,  one  almost  naked,  with 
the  disease  showing  white  on  his  hand  ;  and  the 
other  clothed,  with  the  leprosy  visible  on  his 
leg.  The  mosaic  represents  the  miracle  recorded 
by  St.  Mark  (ch.  i.  40-45),  as  the  words,  Volo 
mundare^  above  it  show. 

(3)  The  Healing  of  the  Syrophoeni- 
cian  Woman's  Daughter.  {On  south 
vault  of  north  transept.) — The  words  of  Scrip- 
ture, attached  to  this  mosaic,  show  that  the 
Venetian  mind  grasped  the  chief  lesson  of  the 
miracle,  namely,  the  triumphant  faith  of  the 
woman     that     turned     discouragements     into 

Q 


242  THE    NEW   TESTAxMENT 

encouragements,  refusals  and  repulses  into  accept- 
ances, and  made  what  seemed  insuperable 
obstacles  into  stepping-stones  to  attainments. 
It  was  something  of  the  spirit  the  Venetians 
themselves  displayed  in  founding  their  city  and 
republic.  We  learn  from  St.  Mark's  narrative 
(ch.  vii,  24-30),  that  the  woman's  daughter, 
out  of  whom  Christ  cast  the  evil  spirit,  was  not 
present  when  the  miracle  was  performed.  She 
is  however  represented  here  with  her  mother  as 
witnessing  to  the  reahtv  of  the  cure.  The 
inscription  of  this  mosaic,  already  referred  to,  is  : 
O  mulier  magna  est  fides  iua. 

(4)  The  Raising  of  the  Widow's  Son. 
(On  south  vault  of  north  transept.) — In  this 
mosaic  a  young  lad  is  standing  with  his  mother 
before  Christ.  Behind  them  is  an  apostle. 
There  is  no  trace  of  death  in  the  presence  of 
the  Lord  of  Life,  and  only  the  words,  Adolescens^ 
tibi  dico  surge^  reveal  the  tremendous  miracle 
that  has  taken  place,  changing  a  scene  of  utter 
desolation  and  mourning  for  an  only  son,  into 
one  of  quickening,  and  happy  fellowship  and 
joy.  The  scene  however  is  to  be  interpreted  as 
having  special  reference  to  the  words  :  And  he 
delivered  him  to  his  mother  (Luke  vii.  11-17). 

(5)  The  Healing  of  the  Man  sick  of 
the     Palsy.       {On    north     vault    of    north 


THE   MIRACLES   OF   OUR   LORD     243 

transept). — This  mosaic  records  another  of 
Christ's  mighty  works,  wrought  in  answer  to  a 
faith  that  overcame  all  difficulties  and  hindrances. 
It  shows  our  Lord  {Vc  X^C)  sitting  "  in  the 
house,"  or,  as  it  is  rendered  in  the  revised 
version,  "at  home"  in  Capernaum,  "his  own 
city,"  His  left  hand  holding  a  scroll  and  His 
right  hand  in  the  attitude  of  teaching  (Mark  ii. 
I- 1 2).  Four  men,  bearing  one  sick  of  the 
palsy,  unable  to  get  near  Christ  because  of  the 
crowd,  have  ascended  by  outside  steps  to  the 
housetop,  and,  having  broken  up  the  tiling, 
have,  by  means  of  ropes,  "let  down  the  bed 
whereon  the  sick  of  the  palsy  lay  into  the  midst 
before  Jesus."  Jesus,  pleased  with  this  display 
of  a  conquering  faith  on  the  part  of  the  paralytic 
and  of  those  who  carried  him,  and  perceiving 
the  sufferer  to  be  burdened  with  a  weight  of 
sin  as  well  as  of  sickness,  first  spoke  to  him  the 
absolving  declaration,  "  Son,  be  of  good  cheer, 
thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee,"  and  then,  to  show 
to  the  murmuring  scribes  sitting  by  that  in 
claiming  to  exercise  the  divine  prerogative  of 
forgiveness  He  was  guilty  of  no  blasphemy, 
He  said  to  the  sick  of  the  palsy,  "Arise, 
take  up  thy  bed,  and  go  thy  way  into  thine 
house."  Ponunt  languentem,  Jit  sanus,  fertque 
ferentem. 


244  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT 

(6)  The  Stilling  of  the  Tempest.    {On 

north  vault  of  north  transept.) — This  mosaic 
displays  another  miracle  precious  to  the  heart  of 
Venice,  for  it  records  an  experience  that  must 
frequently  have  been  that  of  its  daring  fishermen 
and  seafaring  merchantmen.  Tossed  in  their 
little  ships  on  the  Adriatic  Sea  and  in  Oriental 
waters,  as  the  disciples  were  on  the  Lake  of 
Galilee,  they  must  often  have  turned  to  Christ 
in  their  danger,  and,  awakening  their  sleeping 
faith  in  Him,  have  found  safety  and  succour. 
Christ,  whom  "the  winds  and  the  sea  obey," 
and  who  measures  "  the  waters  in  the  hollow  of 
his  hand  "  is  twice  depicted,  first,  calmly  sleep- 
ing at  one  end  of  the  boat  on  a  cushion.  His 
arm  hanging  over  its  side  and  almost  drenched 
with  the  whirling  waters,  beside  Him  a  disciple 
who  in  alarm  has  rushed  to  touch  and  awake 
Him  ;  and  secondly,  as  calmly  standing  erect 
at  the  other  end  of  the  boat,  rebuking  the  winds 
and  the  sea,  and  saying  to  them,  "  Peace,  be 
still."  Archbishop  Trench  says,  "  We  must 
not  miss  the  force  of  that  word  '  rebuke,'  nor 
the  direct  address  to  the  furious  elements, 
*  Peace,  be  still,'  which  only  St,  Mark  (ch.  iv. 
35-41)  records,  for  in  these  there  is  a  distinct 
tracing  up  of  all  the  discords  and  disharmonies 
in  the  outward  world  to  their  source  in  a  person 


THE   MIRACLES   OF   OUR    LORD    245 

.  .  .  even  as  this  person  can  be  no  other  than 
Satan."  In  Scotland  I  have  sometimes  heard 
sailors  discussing  the  likelihood  of  a  storm 
arising,  when  there  were  clergymen  on  board 
their  ship  ;  this  being  due  to  their  belief  in  the 
hostility  that  "  the  prince  of  the  power  of  the 
air "  bears  to  Christ  and  His  servants,  and 
doubtless  also  to  the  narrative  of  Jonah.  Somnus 
discessit ;  vigilans  mare^  flumina^  pressit. 

(7)  The  Healing  of  the  Man  with  a 
Dropsy.  {On  north  vault  of  north  transept.) 
— This  mosaic  shows  a  very  noble  figure  of 
Christ.  His  look  is  full  of  pity,  not  unmixed 
with  sternness,  approaching  to  anger,  and  its 
dignity  is  heightened  by  a  wealth  of  loose  flow- 
ing hair  that  falls  almost  to  His  shoulders. 
His  right  hand  is  raised,  and  behind  Him  stand 
two  of  His  followers.  Before  Him  is  supported 
a  poor  man  swollen  with  a  dropsy,  and  appa- 
rently too  weak  to  stand  alone.  Behind  the 
man  stand  a  number  of  self-righteous  Pharisees, 
watching  our  Lord  with  suspicion.  The 
mosaic  well  represents  the  incident.  It  is  one 
of  the  seven  cures  reported  by  the  Evangelists 
as  having  been  wrought  by.  Christ  on  the 
Sabbath.  He  here  has  entered  "  the  house  of 
one  of  the  chief  Pharisees  to  eat  bread  on  the 
Sabbath "   (Luke  xiv.   1-6),  but  the  invitation 


246  THE   NEW   TESTAMENT 

has  been  insincerely  given,  in  order  that  His 
enemies  might  find  matter  of  accusation 
against  Him.  Either  by  the  arrangement  of 
His  enemies,  or  by  the  importunate  faith  of 
others,  this  sufferer  is  brought  into  Christ's 
presence.  Our  Lord,  knowing  that  these 
cavillers  are  watching  to  accuse  Him  of  Sabbath 
breaking,  silences  them,  rebuking  their  formal- 
ism, teaching  them  what  the  true  hallowing  of 
the  Sabbath  means,  and  justifying  His  cure, 
by  showing  them  that  if  they  would  save  an  ox 
or  an  ass  from  drowning  in  a  well  on  the 
Sabbath  day,  He  might  well  save  a  man  from 
perishing  by  dropsy.  The  mosaic  itself  is  com- 
paratively recent,  having  been  made  by  Blan- 
chinus  in  1557,  though  the  motto,  Hydropicum 
curat^  sua  jam  non  sahbata  servans,  is  an  ancient 
one. 

(8)  The  First  Miraculous  Draught  of 
Fishes.  {On  north  vault  of  north  transept.) 
— The  Venetians  must  have  felt  that  this  was 
another  of  those  miracles  that  had  a  peculiar 
fitness  for  them,  as  they  lived  on  the  water,  and 
as  so  many  of  them  pursued  the  calling  ot 
fishermen  ;  and  perhaps  it  was  to  not  a  few 
a  source  of  inspiration  as  they  thought  of  how 
Christ  glorified  for  the  Apostles  their  humble 
calling,  and  put  matters  of  tremendous  moment 


THE   MIRACLES   OF  OUR   LORD    247 

touching  the  Church  and  the  world,  into  their 
hands.  The  mosaic  sets  forth  (^a)  the  occasion 
of  the  miracle,  (if)  the  miracle  itself,  (<:)  the 
result,  (a)  The  occasion  was  Christ,  making 
use  of  Simon's  boat,  from  which  the  better  to 
teach  the  people  crowded  on  the  shores  of  the 
Lake  of  Gennesaret.  In  the  mosaic  Christ  is 
seen  sitting  addressing  them,  with  outstretched 
arm,  from  the  stern  of  the  boat.  (^)  The 
miracle  is  suggested  by  two  fishermen  leaning 
over  the  gunwale  of  the  boat,  pulling  hard  at 
the  ropes  of  the  nets,  that  having  enclosed  a 
great  multitude  of  fishes  are  on  the  point  of 
breaking.  (c)  The  result  is  shown  in  the 
astonishment  expressed  in  the  faces  of  all ;  in 
James  and  John  preferring  the  Gospel  of  Christ 
to  their  gains  as  is  indicated  by  their  holding 
books,  and  in  Simon  raising  his  hand  in  awe,  as 
if  saying,  "  Depart  from  me  for  I  am  a  sinful 
man,  O  Lord  "  (Luke  v.  i-io).  Jussitpiscantur 
capiuntur  vel  numerantur. 

(9)  The  Cleansing  of  the  Ten  Lepers. 
{East  vault  of  north  transept.^ — Outcasts  from 
society  lepers  naturally  sought  each  other's 
company  ;  and,  as  in  Elisha's  day,  so  in 
Christ's,  they  seem  to  have  congregated  near 
the  gates  of  cities.  The  mosaic  shows  ten  such 
haggard    creatures,    amongst    them    a   woman, 


248  THE   NEW   TESTAMENT 

imploring  Christ,  with  outstretched  hands,  to 
have  mercy  on  them.  Christ  commanded  them 
all  to  go  and  show  themselves  to  the  priests, 
and  obeying  in  faith  His  command,  they  were 
cleansed.  One  only,  a  Samaritan  stranger,  when 
he  saw  that  he  was  healed,  turned  back,  and 
with  a  loud  (restored)  voice,  glorified  God,  and, 
thanking  Jesus  for  one  blessing,  received  another 
and  a  better.  Grateful  for  bodily  cleansing,  he 
obtained  spiritual  cleansing  as  well.  Probably 
the  leper  kneeling  before  Christ  is  meant  to 
represent  this  Samaritan  (Luke  xvii.  12-19). 
Appended  to  this  mosaic  is  the  inscription  : 
Ecce  decern  mundo,  quia  me  colit  huicque 
polumdo. 

(10)  The  Healing  of  the  Centurion's 
Servant.  (Norlh  transepty  east  vault.) — This 
centurion,  and  others  mentioned  in  Scripture, 
were  amongst  the  first  Gentile  believers  in 
Christ,  and  the  forerunners  of  those  many 
soldiers  who  went  forth  from  Rome,  to  conquer 
lands  for  Caesar  and  men  for  Christ — the  first 
missionaries  of  the  cross.  The  character  of  the 
centurion  here  spoken  of  was  particularly  noble, 
as  manifested  in  his  love  for  his  slave,  in  his 
munificence  towards  the  Jews,  and  in  his 
humility  and  faith.  The  mosaic  represents  him 
kneeling,   a   humble    suppliant,    before    Christ, 


THE   MIRACLES   OF   OUR   LORD    249 

with  his  soldiers  and  servants  behind  him. 
It  is  a  modern  work  by  Paolo  Vecchia, 
(1641-1648),  and  does  not  do  the  scene  justice. 
But  the  compilers  of  our  New  Testament  seized 
on  the  central  teaching  of  the  miracle,  the 
triumph  of  faith,  and  placed  above  the  mosaic  the 
centurion's  words  (Luke  vii.  i-io)  :  Tantum 
die  verbo^  et  sanahitur  ergo. 

(11)  The  Healing  of  the  Woman 
with  an  Issue  of  Blood.  {North  transept, 
east  vault.') — The  Jews  were  commanded,  as 
we  learn  from  the  book  of  Numbers  (chap.  xv. 
38),  to  wear  fringes  with  a  ribbon  of  blue  on 
the  borders  of  their  garments,  so  as  to  separate 
them  as  holy  unto  the  Lord,  and  it  is  St.  Mark, 
so  rich  in  details,  who  notices  that  those  sick 
persons  who  touched,  as  it  were,  but  the  border 
of  Christ's  garment  were  made  whole  (Mark  v. 
25-34).  The  woman,  the  subject  of  this 
miracle,  was  one  of  that  class.  She  probably 
thought  that  some  magical  influence  emanated 
from  Christ,  and,  indeed,  "  virtue  did  go  out  of 
him,"  though  not  without  His  volition.  In 
this  case  He  made  the  woman,  probably 
ashamed  of  her  uncleanness,  witness  a  good 
confession  before  many  witnesses,  with  the 
result  that  she,  like  the  Samaritan  leper,  got  a 
double  blessing,   for   she  was    brought    into    a 


250  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT 

spiritual  relationship  with  Christ.  The  mosaic 
shows  a  crowd  of  people  thronging  around  the 
Saviour,  and  this  woman  kneeling  behind  Him, 
touching  "the  hem  of  His  garment."  The 
verse  appended  to  it  is  :  Tangit  curatur  virtus 
exit  nova  fatur. 

(12)  First  Multiplication  of  the 
Loaves  and  Fishes.  {South  transept,  east 
'vault.) — This  is  the  only  miracle  of  our  Lord 
recorded  by  all  the  four  Evangelists  (Matt.  xiv. 
15-21;  Mark  vi.  34-44;  Luke  ix.  12-17; 
and  John  vi.  5-14).  Probably  it  is  so  because 
the  people  recognised  in  it  an  emphatic  proof 
of  His  Messiahship,  for  they  expected  a  Messiah 
who,  like  the  prophet  Moses,  would  "  furnish 
a  table "  for  them  "  in  the  wilderness,"  and 
"  give  them  bread  from  heaven  to  eat,"  and 
make  "  an  handful  of  corn  in  the  earth "  so 
productive  that  "  the  fruit  thereof  would  shake 
like  Lebanon."  And  probably,  also,  because 
the  disciples  themselves  afterwards  saw  the  con- 
nection between  the  earthly  and  the  heavenly, 
realising  Christ  to  be  the  Living  Bread  that 
satisfies  the  spiritual  hunger  of  the  whole  world. 
The  mosaic  brings  the  miracle  in  its  triple 
fulness  before  us.  First,  our  Lord  is  seen 
blessing  the  five  barley  loaves  and  the  two  small 
fishes  by  gently  touching  them  as  they  are  held 


THE    MIRACLES   OF   OUR    LORD     251 

up  towards  Him  by  two  disciples,  one  of  whom 
stands  on  His  right  hand,  and  the  other  on  His 
left.  Secondly,  a  group  of  about  fifty  persons, 
conspicuous  amongst  whom  is  a  woman  with  a 
baby,  suggests  the  orderly  symmetrical  arrange- 
ment in  companies  on  the  green  grass,  of  the 
five  thousand  men  besides  women  and  children, 
that  made  the  distribution  of  food  by  the 
disciples  to  such  a  vast  multitude  not  only  a 
possible  but  a  simple  feat.  A  disciple  is  seen 
approaching  the  group  with  a  quantity  of  bread 
in  the  fold  of  his  robe,  slung  over  his  arm. 
Lastly,  eleven  baskets,  full  of  bread,  are  set  in 
order  on  the  ground,  whilst  a  disciple  with  the 
twelfth  on  his  arm,  gathers  up  the  last  remain- 
ing fragments,  attesting  the  reality  of  the  miracle, 
and  the  bounteousness  of  the  provision  made. 
On  this  mosaic  are  inscribed  the  words  : 

Panibus  ut  quinis,  vos  piscibus  imples  binis^ 
Sic  cibo  detectis^  vos  psalmis^  lege^  prophetis. 

(13)  The  Walking  on  the  Sea.  {South 
transept^  east  vault.') — The  Venetians  loved  to 
depict  the  miracles  of  our  Lord  that  reveal 
Him  as  He  whom  "  the  winds  and  waves 
obey,"  who  "  maketh  the  storm  a  calm,  so  that 
the  waves  thereof  are  still,"  and  which  show 
His  watchful  care  over  those  *'  who  go  down  to 


252  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

the  sea  in  ships,  and  do  business  in  great 
waters,"  bringing  them  safely  through  storm 
and  tempest  "  to  their  desired  haven."  In  this 
mosaic  we  see  Jesus,  who  the  day  before  had 
miraculously  fed  five  thousand  in  the  wilder- 
ness, and  had  afterward  spent  the  greater  part 
of  the  night  in  prayer  on  a  lone  mountain, 
calmly  treading  on  the  waves  of  the  sea  of 
Galilee,  "  making  his  way  in  the  sea  and  his 
path  in  the  great  waters."  We  then  see  the 
ship  in  which  the  disciples  sailed  being  tossed 
in  the  middle  of  the  lake.  The  disciples  look 
wearied  with  their  "  toiling  in  rowing,"  and 
terrified,  for  like  many  of  Christ's  followers  In 
every  age,  they  mistake  their  Saviour  who  now 
draws  near  to  them  with  blessings  for  some 
apparition  of  the  night.  Lastly,  St.  Peter  is 
represented  walking  on  the  sea,  or  rather  sink- 
ing in  It,  for,  failing  to  keep  "  the  beginning 
of  his  confidence  firm  unto  the  end,"  his  foot 
slippeth  in  deep  waters,  but  the  Lord,  coming 
to  his  rescue,  holds  him  up,  as  He  does  all 
believing,  though  faltering,  ones  (Mark  vi.  45  - 
52).  Inscription  :  Modica  fidei  quare  dubitasti  ? 
Cum  mergi  cepit  Petrus,  pia  dextra  recepit. 

(14)  The  Healing  of  the  Impotent 
Man  at  Bethesda.  {South  transept,  east 
vault.) — The  mosaic  workers  In  Inscribing  this 


THE   MIRACLES   OF   OUR   LORD    253 

miracle  have  had  to  accommodate  themselves  as 
best  they  could  to  the  wall-space  broken  into 
by  three  small  windows.  It  is  another  of  those 
works  wrought  by  our  Lord  on  the  Sabbath  day 
which  exasperated  His  enemies  and  gladdened 
His  followers,  as  speaking  to  them  of  a  fountain 
opened  on  all  days  for  all  people  for  sin  and 
for  uncleanness.  To  the  right  there  is  the  pool 
of  Bethesda  (House  of  Compassion)  by  the 
sheep-gate  of  Jerusalem,  in  which  lie  "a  great 
multitude  of  sick,  blind,  halt,  withered,"  and 
over  which  hovers  "the  angel  of  the  waters." 
To  the  left  is  Christ,  with  His  disciples  and 
many  onlookers.  Between  them  is  the  impotent 
man,  first,  lying  helpless  at  the  Saviour's  feet, 
whose  words  awaken  faith  and  hope  in  his 
despairing  heart,  and  then,  made  whole  at 
Christ's  command,  carrying  away  on  his 
shoulders  the  pallet  that  for  thirty-eight  years 
had  carried  him  (John  vi.  1-16).  The  Latin 
inscription  is  :  Scis  te  sanatum  ^  Scio^  Surgito^ 
tolle  grahatumT 

(15)  The  Opening  the  Eyes  of  the 
Blind  Beggar.  {South  transept^  east  vault.) 
— A  peculiar  interest  attaches  to  this  miracle. 
The  subject  of  it,  though  only  a  poor  blind 
beggar,  seems  to  have  been  a  remarkable  man, 
and    probably   on    that  account,  a  well-known 


254  THE   NEW   TESTAMENT 

man.  No  one  who  experienced  Christ's  healing 
power,  of  whom  we  have  any  record,  showed 
more  understanding,  more  wit,  more  courage, 
more  geniahty.  He  was  the  only  Jew,  outside 
the  circle  of  His  disciples,  to  whom  Christ  made 
known  His  Messiahship.  There  was  no  dim- 
ness in  his  intellectual  vision,  and  Christ  gave 
him  physical  and  spiritual  eyesight  as  well. 
Then,  the  influence  of  the  miracle,  and  of  the 
blind  man's  words,  on  his  parents,  on  the  dis- 
ciples, on  the  people,  and  on  the  Scribes  and 
Pharisees,  was  so  great  that  it  constrained  our 
Saviour  to  sum  up  His  mission  to  the  world  in 
the  words,  "  For  judgment  I  am  come  into  this 
world,  that  they  which  see  not  might  see,  and 
that  they  which  see  might  be  made  blind."  The 
mosaic,  which  is  a  good  fifteenth-century  one, 
shows  the  miracle  in  two  parts.  First,  we  see 
our  Lord  anointing  the  eyes  of  the  blind  man 
with  the  dust  of  the  ground,  from  which  we  were 
fashioned,  made  into  clay  with  something  from 
His  own  body,  as  when  He  breathed  into  Adam 
the  breath  of  life,  and  man  became  a  living  soul. 
We  are  told  that  both  clay  and  spittle,  separately 
and  united,  were  used  as  eye-salve  in  medical 
practice  in  the  East,  but  in  this  case  they  were 
doubtless  used,  not  for  a  material,  but  for  a 
spiritual     purpose,    namely,     to    call     out   the 


THE   MIRACLES   OF   OUR   LORD    255 

man's  faith.  In  the  second  part  of  the  mosaic 
the  blind  man  is  represented  washing  his  eyes, 
in  obedience  to  the  Saviour's  command,  "  Go, 
wash  in  the  pool  of  Siloam  "  (John  ix).  The 
motto  is  :  Tu  linis  incedo,  lavo,  cerno ;  Deus, 
tibi  credo. 

(i6)  The  Curing  of  the  Demoniacs  in 
the  Country  of  the  Gadarenes.  {South 
transept,  south  vault.) — The  mosaic  of  this 
miracle,  which  is  recorded  by  three  Evangelists 
(Matt.  viii.  28-34,  Mark  v.  1-20,  Luke  viii. 
26-39),  shows  the  wild  mountainous  country  of 
the  Gadarenes  in  Peraea,  which  was  the  scene  of 
the  miracle.  It  is  a  country  that,  in  its  broken 
trees,  rank  herbage,  and  caverns  "  full  of  dead 
mens'  bones  and  all  uncleanness,"  seems  a  fitting 
outward  expression  in  nature  of  man's  sin,  and 
that  Satanic  influence  that  culminated  in  demoni- 
acal possession.  In  the  foreground  is  our  Lord 
with  His  disciples,  encountering  the  poor 
maniacs,  the  evil  spirits  in  whom,  recognising 
Christ,  worshipped  Him,  making  the  strange 
request  that  he  would  not  send  them  into  the 
Abyss,  but  into  a  herd  of  swine,  which  in  the 
mosaic  is  seen  feeding  in  the  distance  on  the  • 
mountain  side.  The  lake,  with  its  steep  shore, 
down  which  the  herd  of  swine  ran  to  destruc- 
tion, is  not  shown.     It  may  have  been  at  some 


256  THE   NEW   TESTAMENT 

distance  from  the  scene  of  the  miracle.     Motto  : 
In  grege  porcorum,  prurit  grex  damoniorum. 

(17)  Second  Multiplication  of  the 
Loaves  and  Fishes.  {South  transept^  south 
vault.) — As  we  learn  from  the  narrative  of  the 
Evangelist  St.  Mark  (ch.  viii.  1-9),  the  circum- 
stances in  which  this  second  miraculous  multi- 
plication of  bread  and  fishes  took  place,  do  not 
differ  materially  from  those  of  the  first  miracle. 
The  country  is  the  same — the  desert,  or  wilder- 
ness, lying  on  the  western  side  of  the  Sea  of 
Galilee  ;  the  orderly  arrangement  of  the  people  is 
the  same,  they  are  made  to  sit  down  on  the 
ground  in  companies,  only  the  numbers  fed  on 
this  occasion  are  fewer — four,  instead  of  five, 
thousand,  and  the  supply  of  provisions  is 
slightly  greater,  seven  loaves  and  a  few  small 
fishes,  instead  of  five  loaves  and  two  fishes.  But 
the  representation  of  this  second  miracle,  which 
is  modern,  is  very  inferior  to  that  of  the  former. 
Whilst  Christ  is  engaged  in  the  solemn  act  of 
blessing,  one  disciple  stoops  before  Him  with  a 
basket  of  bread  in  his  hand,  and  with  one  of  the 
fish  on  the  ground  at  his  feet,  while  the  others 
stand,  one  here  and  one  there,  without  observing 
any  order.  The  people,  too,  are  depicted  stand- 
ing, instead  of  sitting  in  companies  on  the  green 
grass.     Some  have  thought  that  in  this  miracle 


THE   MIRACLES   OF   OUR    LORD     257 

those  who  were  fed  were  mainly  Jews,  whilst  in 
the  former  one  they  were  Gentiles,  and  that  thus 
together  they  prefigure  Christ  as  the  Bread  of 
Life  for  all  peoples  and  nations.  The  inscrip- 
tion is  :  Pisiculis  paucis  et  panibus  hos  cibo 
septem. 

(i8)  The  Healing  of  Peter's  Wife's 
Mother.  {South  transept^  south  vault?) — The 
mosaic  represents  Christ  in  the  house  of  St. 
Peter,  whose  wife's  mother  lay  sick  of  a  fever. 
In  this  case  it  is  not  the  narrative  of  St.  Mark 
(ch.  i.  29-3 1 ),  generally  so  rich  in  details,  but  that 
of  St.  Luke,  the  physician,  to  which  we  are  in- 
debted for  the  fact  that  it  was  a  "  great,"  as 
distinguished  from  a  "  small  "  fever.  The  phy- 
sician of  physicians  who  "  himself  took  our 
infirmities  and  bear  our  sicknesses "  has  ap- 
proached the  sufferer,  and  with  his  healing  touch 
and  healing  words,  has  not  only  caused  the  fever 
to  leave  her,  but  has  restored  her  at  once, 
without  a  period  of  convalescence,  to  perfect 
health  and  strength,  so  that  "  immediately  she 
arose  and  ministered  unto  them."  The  inscrip- 
tion set  over  this  mosaic  is  :  Fetri  socrus  curatur, 
et  servire  paratur. 

(19)  The  Healing  of  the  Woman  with 
a  Spirit  of  Infirmity.  {South  transept^  south 
vault. ^ — The  compilers  of  our  New  Testament 

R 


258  THE   NEW    TESTAMENT 

understood  in  a  literal  sense  the  words  of  our 
Lord  in  regard  to  this  woman,  "  whom  Satan 
hath  bound,  lo,  these  eighteen  years,"  and 
therefore  connect  her  healing  with  deliverance 
from  the  Adversary's  power,  assigning,  and  in 
all  likelihood  correctly  assigning,  her  physical 
infirmity  to  a  spiritual  cause.  And  so,  whilst 
the  sufferer  is  represented  bowed  together,  lean- 
ing on  a  staff,  before  Christ,  who  has  placed 
His  hand  on  her  head,  the  casting  out  of  Satan, 
who  is  seen  flying  away,  is  the  sign  of  her  cure. 
In  justifying  His  conduct  in  effecting  this  cure 
on  the  Sabbath,  our  Lord,  as  on  a  former  occa- 
sion (the  healing  of  a  man  with  a  dropsy),  refers 
his  enemies  to  their  own  conduct  when,  on  that 
day,  the  safety  or  even  the  comfort  of  an  ox  or 
an  ass  was  imperilled  (Luke  xiii.  10-17). 
Above  the  mosaic  is  the  motto  :  Curvatum 
morhis  curas  his  exprobo  turbis. 


CHAPTER   V 

CLOSING   SCENES   AND   INCIDENTS   IN 
OUR   LORD'S   LIFE 

(i)  The  Transfiguration.  {Apex  of  vault 
above  the  choir  screen.^ — The  scene  of  this 
mysterious  spectacle  is  shown  in  the  mosaic  as 
the  lofty,  cone-shaped  Mount  Tabor.  The 
time  of  it  was  night,  but  the  breaking  forth  of 
our  Lord's  innate  glory — His  face  as  the  sun, 
and  His  raiment  white  and  glistering — lights 
up  the  scene.  On  His  right  hand  is  Moses, 
holding  a  book,  the  representative  of  the  Law, 
which  found  its  end  in  Christ  ;  and  on  His  left 
Elias,  the  representative  of  the  Prophets,  whose 
prophecies  were  all  fulfilled  in  Christ.  At  their 
feet  are  the  three  favoured  witnesses,  Peter, 
James,  and  John,  who  gaze  upward  from  out 
of  the  deep  shadow  of  the  night,  and  of  the 
cloud,  at  the  excess  of  glory,  "  dark  with  excess 


260  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

of  light"   (Mark  Ix.  2-10).     The  text  is  :   Et 
facta  est  nuhes  obumhrans  eos. 

(2)  The  Woman  accused  of  Adultery. 
{North  transept,  east  vault,  left  hand.) — This 
incident  is  found  only  in  St.  John's  Gospel 
(chap.  viii.  i-ii),  and  as  a  doubt  exists  as  to 
whether  or  not  it  should  be  there,  so  I  am 
doubtful  about  its  originally  having  had  a  place 
in  our  Bible  of  St.  Mark.  It  is  a  modern  mosaic, 
made  by  Pasterini  (1642-92).  The  woman  is 
being  dragged  by  a  crowd  of  men  into  the 
presence  of  Christ,  who,  stooping  down,  has 
written  on  the  ground  the  words,  dui 
sine  peccato.  Above  the  mosaic  are  the 
words  :  H^ec  pietate  Dei  stat,  frustrantur 
Pharisei. 

(3)  The  Triumphal  Entry  into  Jeru- 
salem. {North  vault  of  south  transept.) — 
This  incident  in  our  Saviour's  life  is  recorded 
by  all  the  four  Evangelists  (Matt.  xxi.  i-ii, 
Mark  xi.  i-ii,  Luke  xix.  29-44,  John  xii. 
12-19).  T^^  central  figure  of  the  mosaic  is 
our  Lord  riding  in  triumph  into  Jerusalem  as  a 
king.  The  "  colt  the  foal  of  an  ass  "  on  which 
He  rides  is  pure  white,  as  were  those  on  which 
rode  princes  and  prophets.  Behind  Christ  are 
the  slopes  of  the  Mount  of  Olives  which  He 
has  traversed,  and  down  which  the  disciples  and 


CLOSING  SCENES   AND  INCIDENTS    261 

the  people  are  following  in  His  train.  Before 
Him  is  the  city  gate,  and  out  of  it  crowds  are 
pouring  to  meet  Him,  waving  palm  branches. 
Men,  women  and  children  are  paying  Him  the 
royal  honour  of  spreading  their  garments  in  the 
way,  whilst  some,  having  climbed  up  into  palms 
and  other  evergreen  trees,  are  cutting  down 
branches  and  strewing  them  in  His  path.  Thus 
our  Lord  fulfils  the  Old  Testament  Scripture, 
"Tell  ye  the  daughter  of  Zion,  Behold,  thy  King 
Cometh  unto  thee,  meek,  and  sitting  upon  an 
ass,  and  a  colt  the  foal  of  an  ass,"  and  thus  He 
publicly  proclaims  His  Messiahship.  On  the 
border  of  the  vault  are  the  words,  Ecce  venit 
tibi  princeps^  and  on  that  of  the  gallery  arch 
that  is  cut  into  the  vault,  Laus  decet  ista  Deum^ 
qui  sumpsit  in  hoste  tropheum. 

(4)  The  Cleansing  of  the  Temple 
{ISIorth  transept^  east  vanity  altar  end.) — Our 
Lord,  having  entered  Jerusalem  in  triumph 
proceeded  to  the  temple,  where  the  incident 
here  recorded  took  place.  The  mosaic  which 
represents  it  is  a  modern  one,  and  is  not  well 
executed,  so  we  may  the  less  regret  that  a  row 
of  small  windows  has  broken  into  the  wall-space 
in  which  it  is  set.  Christ  is  shown,  with  a  whip 
of  small  cords,  driving  out  of  the  temple  those 
who   were    turning    it    into — what    too    often 


262  THE   NEW   TESTAMENT 

ambitions  and  passions  turn  the  temple  of  the 
heart — a  house  of  merchandise  and  a  den  of 
thieves.  Behind  Christ  are  seen  affrighted 
women,  hasting  away  with  their  lambs  and 
baskets  of  doves  ;  at  His  feet  some  traffickers, 
in  their  flight,  have  fallen  amongst  overturned 
tables,  seats  and  bags  of  money  ;  whilst  before 
Him  others  are  scrambling  for  their  gold,  or 
are  deprecating  Christ's  wrath  as  they  make  off 
with  their  goods.  St.  Luke  (ch.  xix.  45-46) 
intimately  connects  this  incident  with  Christ's 
teaching,  for  he  adds  :  "  And  he  taught  daily 
in  the  temple "  thus  cleansed.  And  so  in 
human  experience  the  two  things  often  go 
together,  the  expulsion  of  evil  from  the  heart, 
and  the  coming  into  it  of  Christ  as  a  daily 
teacher  (Matt.  xxi.  12-13  ?  Mark  xi.  15-19). 
Qui  sacra  vendit^  entity  pello  de  limine  templi. 

(5)  The  Feet  Washing.  {North  vault 
of  south  transept.) — This  is  a  quaint,  lovely 
and  expressive  mosaic.  Our  Lord  and  His 
disciples  are  in  the  "  large  upper  room,"  where 
they  are  about  to  eat  the  Passover.  The 
disciples  are  depicted  as  they  might  have  been 
sitting  at  table,  six  behind  six,  but  the  faces  of 
those  behind  show  between  those  in  front  of 
them,  so  that  the  twelve  really  form  one  line. 
They  are  all  gazing  at  Christ  with  a  strange, 


rh,'lo!>y  L.  Xu 


U.  H.   lfa,d&-Co. 


THE    FEET   WASHIiXG 

and 

THE    INSTITUTION    OF  THE   LORDS   SUPPER 


p.  262 


CLOSING  SCENES   AND  INCIDENTS    263 

puzzled,  wondering,  half  abashed  look,  all 
excepting  one  whose  face  wears  a  scowl,  and 
whose  short-cut  black  hair  and  beard,  and  general 
appearance,  contrasts  with  the  others.  He  is 
Judas,  the  traitor.  No  wonder  the  others 
look  puzzled,  for  there  had  been  "  a  strife 
among  them,  as  to  which  of  them  should  be 
accounted  the  greatest,"  and  now  they  see  their 
Master  *'  as  he  that  serveth."  He  has  risen 
from  table,  and  having  "  laid  aside  His  garment," 
throwing  it  over  a  rail  from  which  He  has  just 
taken  a  towel  wherewith  He  has  "  girded  Him- 
self," He  is  beginning  to  wash  the  disciples' 
feet.  Those  in  the  front  row  have  each  one 
foot  up  on  a  level  with  their  knees,  and  are  in 
the  act  of  untying  their  sandals,  excepting  the 
first,  whose  feet  Christ  is  washing.  He  has 
washed  one,  and  is  now  wiping  it,  the  other  is 
in  the  water.  This  disciple  is  evidently  meant 
for  Peter,  although  he  was  not  the  first  to  have 
his  feet  washed.  He  has  just  apparently  said, 
"  Thou  shalt  never  wash  my  feet,"  and  then — 
running  from  one  extreme  to  another — in 
answer  to  our  Saviour's  words,  "  If  I  wash  thee 
not  thou  hast  no  part  with  me,"  he  has  raised 
his  hand  to  his  forehead  as  if  exclaiming, 
"  Lord,  not  my  feet  only,  but  also  my  hands 
and  my  head."     The  inscription  on  the  arch  in 


264  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

the  vault  is  :   Hisce  pedes  lavit  Jesus^  quos  ante 
cibavit  (John  xm.  i-ii). 

(6)  The  Institution  of  the  Lord's 
Supper.  (^Immediately  above  the  mosaic  of 
the  Feet  Washing.) — We  read  that  after  the 
Feet  Washing  Christ  took  His  garment,  and 
again  sat  down  at  table  to  abolish  the  Passover, 
and  to  institute  in  its  place  the  Holy  Sacra- 
ment, for  the  interpretation  and  the  com- 
memoration of  His  atoning  death.  The  mosaic 
shows  the  supper-table,  at  which  sit  Jesus  and 
His  disciples.  The  look  of  wonder  that  their 
faces  bore  in  the  former  mosaic  is  changed  in 
this  to  one  of  deep  sorrowfulness,  for  Christ 
has  said  to  them,  "  Verily,  verily  I  say  unto 
you,  that  one  of  you  shall  betray  me."  John, 
the  beloved  disciple,  sitting  next  to  Jesus,  is 
reclining  his  head  on  His  breast.  Judas,  who 
has  not  yet  "  gone  out,"  is  sitting  the  fifth  from 
Christ  with  the  same  hard  scowl  on  his  face. 
Near  him  is  one  of  the  supper  bowls,  suggesting 
our  Lord's  last  gracious  appeal  to  his  better 
nature  by  giving  him  the  sop  when  He  had 
dipped  it.  The  institution  of  the  Last  Supper 
is  indicated  by  Christ  holding  the  bread  in  His 
hands  which  He  is  about  to  bless,  and  break, 
and  distribute  amongst  His  disciples,  saying  : 
"  Take,  eat,  this  is  my  body  broken  for  you. 


CLOSING   SCENES   AND  INCIDENTS    265 

this  do  in  remembrance  of  me."  On  the  edge 
of  the  vault,  with  reference  to  this  mosaic  and 
to  the  preceding  one,  are  the  words  :  Coena 
non  sternatuVy  cibus  est  caro,  culpa  lavatur 
(Mark  xiv.  17-25). 


CHAPTER   VI 

THE   PASSION   OF   OUR   LORD 

(i)  The  Agony  in  the  Garden.  {JVall- 
space  of  right  aisle.) — Great  prominence  is  given 
in  our  New  Testament  to  the  dread  Agony  of 
our  Lord.  The  whole  stretch  of  the  wall-space 
of  the  right  aisle  forms  the  vast  page  on  which 
it  is  portrayed.  The  reason  of  this  is  that  the 
old  Venetians  regarded  it  as  the  soul  and  centre 
of  Christ's  sufferings.  When  that  season  of 
awful  watching  and  prayer  and  conflict  was 
over  they  deemed,  and  rightly  deemed,  that  the 
agony  of  death  was  passed,  and  that  victory  was 
won.  All  the  events  that  followed,  the  betrayal, 
the  desertion,  the  cruel  mocking  and  scourging, 
even  the  crucifixion  itself,  they  considered  to  be 
in  a  manner  subordinate,  and  they  have  there- 
fore given  them  a  subordinate  place  in  the 
church.  The  Agony  is  presented  in  its  three 
stages,  and  so  presented  that  both  the  letter  and 
the  spirit  of  the  Gospel  narrative  are  brought 


x:^^j^^<L^>^<:^^^f::^<^:i> 


THE   PASSION   OF  OUR   LORD      267 

out.  The  figure  of  our  Lord  appears  twice  in 
each  stage  of  the  awful  drama.  (^)  In  the  first 
He  has  fallen  prostrate  on  the  ground,  praying, 
'*  O  my  Father,  if  it  be  possible  let  this  cup 
pass  from  me,  nevertheless  not  as  I  will,  but  as 
thou  wilt."  His  sweat,  which  was  "  as  it  were 
great  drops  of  blood  falling  down  to  the  ground," 
is  beautifully  symbolised  by  golden  flowers  with 
red  blossoms.  He  is  about  a  stone's  cast  from 
His  disciples,  and  after  this  first  prayer  He  is 
depicted  as  having  come  to  them  to  find  them 
asleep.  The  whole  eleven  appear  in  the  picture. 
Christ  is  shown  awaking  Peter,  saying,  "  Simon, 
sleepest  thou  ?  Couldst  thou  not  watch  one 
hour  ?  "  (^)  In  the  second  scene  He  is  again 
seen  in  prayer,  but  His  position  is  changed. 
He  is  no  longer  prostrate  as  before.  He  is  on 
His  knees,  and  His  body  is  less  bent.  For 
Him  "  light  has  arisen  in  the  darkness."  There 
is  a  little  piece  of  blue  starry  sky,  and  there  are 
no  red  flowers.  The  intensity  of  the  Agony  is 
over.  Then  He  is  seen  a  second  time  awaking 
the  disciples,  who  are  represented  now  by  Peter 
alone,  (c)  In  the  third  scene  Christ  is  again  in 
prayer,  but  the  Agony  is  passed.  He  is  on  His 
knees,  but  His  body  is  erect.  Not  only  is  there 
the  blue  sky,  but  a  stream  of  heavenly  light 
flows     down     upon     Him,    and     an    angel    is 


268  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

strengthening  Him.  Then  a  third  time  He  is 
seen  awakening  Peter,  but  as  He  does  so  His 
arm  is  raised,  as  it  was  not  before,  and  He 
blesses,  whilst  chiding  him.  The  inscription  is  : 
Dummodo  rex  oral  supplex  sua  turha  soporat. 
Ad  quos  mox  tendit  et  eos  super  hoc  reprehendit. 
The  Agony  in  the  Garden  finds  a  place  in  the 
three  synoptic  gospels.  Matt.  xxvi.  37-46  ; 
Mark  xiv.  33-42  ;  Luke  xxii.  41-46  ;  and  is 
alluded  to  in  John  xviii.  i. 

(2)  The  Betrayal  of  our  Lord.  {On 
vault  between  west  and  central  cupolas.') — This 
mosaic  shows  the  betrayal  of  Jesus  by  Judas, 
and  His  apprehension  by  His  enemies.  Judas 
and  the  band  of  men  sent  by  the  priests  and 
Pharisees,  with  swords  and  halberts,  torches  and 
lanterns,  stand  at  Jesus'  right  hand,  and  another 
band,  composed  mainly  of  Scribes  and  Pharisees, 
stand  at  His  left.  Judas  has  thrown  his  left  arm 
round  the  Saviour's  neck  and  is  kissing  His 
cheek,  at  which  sign  the  foremost  men  of  the 
two  bands  have  laid  hold  of  Him.  In  the  fore- 
ground is  Peter,  cutting  off  the  right  ear  of 
Malchus,  the  servant  of  the  High  priest  (Matt, 
xxvi.  47-56  ;  Mark  xiv.  43-52  ;  Luke  xxii. 
47-53  ;  John  xviii.  3-1 1). 

(3)  On  the  Way  to  Calvary.  {On  the 
same  vault.) — Christ  has  already  undergone  His 


n    — 


THE   PASSION   OF  OUR   LORD      269 

several  mock  trials.  He  has  been  tried  ecclesiasti- 
cally by  night,  before  Caiaphas  the  High  Priest, 
and  condemned  ;  but  because  the  Church  Courts 
in  Jerusalem,  like  the  Church  Courts  in  Venice, 
had  no  executive  power.  He  has  been  re-tried 
in  the  Civil  Court  of  Pilate  and  acquitted,  sent 
to  Herod  and  acquitted,  and  sent  back  to  Pilate, 
who,  yielding  to  the  clamour  of  the  Jews,  at 
last  condemned  Him,  and  allowed  Him  to  be 
mocked  and  scourged  by  the  Roman  soldiers. 
The  mosaic  sets  these  scenes  before  us.  Behind 
those  who  accompanied  Judas  at  the  betrayal 
are  seen  the  heads  of  a  company  of  priests,  the 
foremost  of  whom  bears  a  scroll  with  the  word 
Crucifcatur.  Facing  him  stands  Pilate,  also 
bearing  a  scroll  with  his  derisive  question  in- 
scribed on  it  :  Regem  vostrum  crucificam  "i 
Christ  is  next  represented  coming  forth  from  the 
Judgment  Hall,  arrayed  in  all  the  emblems  of 
mock  sovereignty — the  robe  of  royal  purple, 
the  crown  of  thorns,  the  reed  sceptre.  In  His 
left  hand  is  a  scroll  with  the  words  :  Spinis 
Coronatus  sum.  Some  in  sportive  ridicule  are 
bowing  the  knee  before  Him,  as  if  saying, 
"  Hail  !  King  of  the  Jews."  Behind  Him 
Simon  of  Cyrene,  the  father  of  Alexander  and 
Rufus,  is  bearing  the  cross — the  first  condition 
of    that    discipleship    to    which   he   afterwards 


270  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

attained,  for  he  became,  in  all  probability,  the 
first  African  Christian,  the  first-fruits  of  the 
Cross  in  that  dark  continent  (Mark  xv.  14-21). 
A  further  inscription  is  :  Prodidit  hie  Christum 
turhis  quasi  -pace  magistrum,  Qui  subiens  mortem^ 
quasi  rex  emitque  cohortem. 

(4)  The  Crucifixion.  {On  same  vault.)— 
A  small  mound  with  a  skull  indicates  Calvary, 
or  Golgotha,  and  high  over  it,  on  a  lofty  cross, 
hangs  our  Lord,  with  the  inscription  which 
Pilate  wrote,  over  His  head  :  lesus  Nazarenus 
Rex  Judeorum.  Beside  the  cross,  at  the  right 
hand  of  Jesus,  stand  Mary  His  mother,  Mary 
the  wife  ot  Cleophas,  Mary  Magdalene,  and 
another  woman.  And  beside  it,  at  His  left 
hand  is  John,  suggesting  Christ's  words  spoken 
from  the  cross  to  Mary,  "  Woman,  behold  thy 
son,"  and  to  John,  "  Behold  thy  mother."  Be- 
hind John  stands  a  group  of  soldiers,  casting  lots 
for  Christ's  garments,  and  Scribes  and  Pharisees, 
members  of  the  Sanhedrim,  pointing  the  finger, 
and  mocking,  saying,  "  He  saved  others,  him- 
self he  cannot  save."  In  front  of  John  is  seen 
the  man  answering  Christ's  cry,  "  I  thirst,"  by 
giving  Him  vinegar  to  drink  on  a  sponge  at  the 
end  of  a  reed,  and  in  front  of  the  women  is  the 
soldier  with  the  spear,  piercing  His  side.  At 
the  foot  of  the  cross  is  the  centurion,  with  the 


THE   PASSION   OF   OUR   LORD      271 

soldiers  keeping  guard,  who,  when  they  saw 
what  was  done,  glorified  God  saying,  "  Truly 
this  was  the  Son  of  God."  Nor  have  the 
compilers  of  our  New  Testament  forgotten  the 
texts,  "  Which  things  the  angels  desire  to  look 
into,"  and  "  he  gave  his  angels  charge  con- 
cerning him,"  for  on  the  arms  of  the  cross  and 
around,  and  above  Christ,  are  angels  watching 
over  Him,  interested  in  the  work  of  redemption, 
as  He  lays  down  His  life  for  the  sins  of  the 
world  (Mark  xv.  22-41  ;  John  xix.  17-37). 

(Another  mosaic  of  the  Crucifixion  exists  in 
the  Baptistery,  see  Appendix,  Note  F.) 

(5)  Christ  in  Hades.  {On  the  same  vault.) 
— This  mosaic  presents  Christ  in  the  common 
abode  of  departed  spirits,  and,  although  He 
entered  this  mysterious  region  as  a  Victor  and  a 
Deliverer,  still,  I  think  it  well  to  consider  the 
incident  in  connection  with  His  Passion,  for  He 
was  there  in  a  state  of  personal  incompleteness, 
as  His  body  was  still  lying  in  Joseph's  tomb, 
and  separateness  of  body  and  soul  is  linked  in 
our  minds  with  the  idea  of  death.  Various 
passages  of  Scripture,  such  as  Ps.  xvi.  10,  and 
I  Peter  iii.  19,  are  interpreted  as  referring  to 
the  visit  our  Lord  paid  to  Hades,  and,  though 
Scripture  does  not  lift  the  veil  that  hangs  over 
that  scene,  the  Apocryphal  gospel  of  Nicodemus 


272  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT 

gives  many  details  about  it,  and  the  early  Church 
was  fond  of  dwelling  upon  Christ's  deeds  in 
that  realm  of  disembodied  spirits.  The  mosaic 
shows  our  Lord,  whose  presence  lights  up  the 
darkness  of  Hades,  standing  on  the  body  of  the 
King  of  Terrors,  whom  He  has  conquered  and 
bound  with  iron  chains.  Broken  bars  and  gates, 
and  the  keys  of  Death  and  Hell,  lying  scattered 
at  His  feet,  proclaim  His  conquering  arm.  He 
has  rolled  aside  the  stone  doors  of  the  prison- 
houses  of  the  dead,  and  has  delivered  Adam,  and 
King  David,  and  Isaiah  the  prophet,  and  many 
other  saints,  "  who  came  out  of  the  graves  after 
His  resurrection,  and  went  into  the  holy  city, 
and  appeared  unto  many,"  as  sharers  in  our 
Lord's  triumph.  Christ  is  represented  in  the  act 
of  delivering  a  captive  whom  the  Adversary  has 
seized  by  the  foot.  He  has  in  His  hands  a 
cross,  which,  tradition  tells  us.  He  bore,  as  the 
symbol  that  Hades  was  henceforth  a  conquered 
territory — thus  lightening  the  fear  of  death  for 
His  followers  to  all  time.  The  cross  has  two 
transverse  bars,  and  on  the  upper  one  are  the 
letters,  LN.R.L  The  inscription  of  this  mosaic 
is :  Mors  et  ero  mortis,  s  urgent  urn  duxque  cohortis, 
Morsus  et  inferno,  vos  regno  dono  superno. 


CHAPTER   VII 

OUR   LORD'S   RESURRECTION   AND 
APPEARANCES 

(i)  The  Resurrection.  {On  the  apex  of 
the  vault  between  west  and  central  cupolas.^ — 
In  the  representation  of  the  Resurrection, 
as  in  that  of  other  facts  in  Christ's  life,  the  com- 
pilers of  our  New  Testament  not  only  show  a 
full  and  accurate  knowledge  of  Scripture,  but  a 
carefulness  not  to  go  beyond  what  is  written. 
Thus,  in  this  mosaic,  the  actual  Resurrection 
of  Jesus,  which  is  nowhere  described  in  the 
gospels,  although  often  represented  in  late  art, 
is  not  shown.  What  is  set  before  us  is  the 
first  announcement  of  it  as  an  accomplished 
fact,  which  was  made  by  the  angel,  at  the 
empty  tomb,  to  the  women  who  went  there 
to  embalm  the  body,  at  daylight  of  that  first  day 
of  the  week.  In  the  mosaic  we  see,  then,  first  the 
sepulchre.    Approaching  it  are  Mary  Magdalene, 


274  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

Mary  the  mother  of  James,  and  Salome,  each 
bearing  in  her  hand  a  vase  containing  the  sweet 
spices  necessary  for  their  intended  last  service  of 
love.  By  the  right  side  of  the  sepulchre  sits  the 
*'  angel  of  the  Lord,"  robed  in  raiment  white  as 
snow,  and  with  rainbow-coloured  wings,  emblem- 
atical of  purity  and  peace,  who  points  the  women 
to  the  empty  tomb,  and  the  linen  clothes  lying, 
as  proofs  that  Christ  was  not  there,  but  was 
risen  as  He  had  said.  On  the  slope  below  the 
sepulchre  are  the  Roman  soldiers,  who,  in  the 
presence  of  the  angels,  "  became  as  dead  men." 
The  inscription  is  :  Cum  vacuum  monstrat  muli- 
eribus  esse  sepulchrum  Angelus,  isque  simul  dixit 
surrexisse  sepultum  (Matt,  xxviii.  i-6,  Mark  xvi. 
1-6,  Luke  xxiv.  i-8,  John  xx.  i). 

(2)  The  First  Appearance  of  Christ. 
{On  the  same  vault.) — This  mosaic  shows  the 
first  manifestation  of  the  risen  Lord.  It  is  set 
before  us  as  being  made,  not  to  Mary  Magdalene 
alone,  but  to  her  and  another  woman,  the  repre- 
sentatives of  all  the  women  who  went  to  embalm 
the  body.  And  when  we  harmonise  the  accounts 
of  the  four  Evangelists  (Matt,  xxviii.  6-10, 
Mark  xvi.  6-10,  Luke  xxiv.  9-1 1,  and  John 
XX.  11-18),  I  believe  we  shall  find  this  view  to 
be  correct.  These  women,  departing  from  the 
sepulchre,   "  with   fear  and  great  joy,  to  bring 


OUR    LORD'S   APPEARANCES         275 

his  disciples  word  "  that  Jesus  was  risen,  were 
met  in  the  garden  by  Christ  Himself,  bearing 
the  marks  of  His  crucifixion,  who  addressed 
them,  saying,  "All  hail."  Recognising  Him, 
they  fell  down,  as  here  shown,  at  His  feet,  and 
worshipped  Him.  Christ,  who  has  still  the  scroll 
— the  word  of  God — in  His  left  hand,  has  raised 
His  right,  as  if  saying,  "  Touch  me  not,  for 
I  am  not  yet  ascended  to  my  Father,"  and  as, 
laying  upon  them  His  first  evangelic  command, 
"  Go,  tell  my  brethren  that  they  go  into  Galilee, 
and  there  shall  they  see  me."  The  inscription  is : 
Tangere  me  noli  surgentem^  sicut  et  olim. 

(2)  TheSecond  Appearance  of  Christ. 
(0/2  east  vault  of  north  transept.) — As  this 
mosaic  contrasts  with  the  others  of  this  chapter  in 
being  modern  in  character  (from  a  cartoon  of 
Leandro  Bassano,  16 17),  we  may  the  less  regret 
that  it  also  contrasts  with  them  in  being  removed 
from  their  company,  and  rather  hidden  away. 
It  represents  the  Second  Appearance  of  Christ, 
made  on  Easter  Day,  to  the  two  disciples  on  their 
way  to  Emmaus.  It  is  divided  into  three  scenes  : 
{a)  First,  Christ  is  seen  walking  with  the  two 
disciples,  whom  He  has  joined,  as,  on  their  way 
from  Jerusalem  to  Emmaus,  "  they  communed 
and  questioned  together  "  and  were  sad,  just  as 
He  joins  wayfarers  still  whose  thoughts  go  out 


276  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT 

to  Him.  All  carry  pilgrim's  staffs,  and  one  to 
whom  Jesus  is  talking,  probably  Cleopas,  is  bare- 
headed, with  his  hat  slung  behind  him.  Their 
expressions  are  sad,  but  interested,  for  Jesus  is 
evidently  chiding  their  partial  acceptance  of  the 
predictions  of  the  Old  Testament  regarding  His 
Messiahship  ;  and  "  expounding  to  them  in  all 
the  scriptures  the  things  concerning  himself." 
((^)  The  second  scene  shows  Him  sitting  "  at 
meat  with  them,"  and  in  the  act  of  revealing 
Himself  in  the  breaking  and  blessing  of  bread. 
(c)  The  third  scene  shows  the  two  disciples 
returning  to  Jerusalem  with  elastic  steps,  and 
hopeful  countenances,  eager  to  tell  the  eleven 
"  what  things  were  done  in  the  way,  and  how 
he  was  known  of  them  in  breaking  of  bread" 
(Luke  xxiv.  13,35).  The  following  is  the  in- 
scription :  Hie  est  Christus  in  forma  pelegrini. 
Mane  nobiscum^  Domine,  quoniam  advesperacit. 
Et  cognoverunt  eum  in  fractione  panis. 

(4)  Third  and  Fourth  Appearances  of 
Christ.  (On  vault  between  west  and  central 
cupolas.) — This  mosaic  combines,  we  may  say, 
our  Lord's  appearance  to  the  ten  disciples  on 
Easter  Eve,  and  again  to  them  with  Thomas  on 
its  octave.  The  disciples,  already  realising  the 
hostility  of  the  world  to  those  that  are  Christ's, 
are  gathered  together,  with  the  doors  shut,  for 


OUR   LORD'S   APPEARANCES        277 

fear  of  the  Jews.  Jesus,  no  longer  subject  to 
the  laws  of  natural  beings,  has  suddenly  appeared 
in  their  midst  with  His  comforting  greeting  of, 
"  Peace  be  unto  you,"  showing  them  at  the  same 
time  the  wounds  of  His  crucifixion  that  they 
might  recognise  Him.  As  the  latter  manifesta- 
tion was  granted  especially  for  the  incredulous 
Thomas,  who  wanted  the  test  of  sense,  the 
inscription  consists  of  Christ's  invitation  to 
him  :  Thomas  quod  quaeris,  jam  tacto  vulnere 
credis,  and  of  Thomas's  response,  who,  gazing 
on  Christ's  wounds,  has  his  faith  confirmed  in 
our  Lord,  both  as  Jesus  of  Nazareth  and  as  the 
Son  of  God  :  Dominus  mens  et  Deus  mens  (Mark 
xvi,  14  ;  Luke  xxiv.  36-43  ;  John  xx.  19-29). 


CHAPTER   VIII 

THE    ASCENSION 

CENTRAL    CUPOLA 

This  subject,  the  Ascension  of  our  Lord, 
fills  the  great  main  central  cupola  of  the  church, 
and  there  it  is  depicted  with  a  peculiar  beauty 
and  fulness.  The  important  place  thus  given  to 
it,  and  the  thought  and  care  expended  on  it, 
show  that  the  Venetians  regarded  it  as  forming 
one  of  the  most  important  chapters  in  our  New 
Testament.  They  seem  to  have  realised  that  it 
marked  a  transition  period  in  the  life  of  Christ, 
transforming  it  from  one  of  humiliation  into  one 
of  glory,  rendering  His  presence,  hitherto  limited 
and  local,  henceforward  spiritual  and  universal, 
accessible  to  all  men,  in  all  places,  throughout  all 
time.  And  they  seem  also  to  have  realised  it  as 
marking  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  the  disciples 
and  the  Church,  who  were  to  know  Him  no 
longer  after  the  flesh,  but  '*  after  the  spirit " — 
seeing  Him  no   more   with  the  eye  of    sense, 


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THE   ASCENSION  279 

and  holding  Him  no  more  by  the  hand,  but 
seeing  Him  by  the  eye  of  faith,  and  holding 
Him  by  the  heart,  and  thus  manifesting  spi- 
ritual fellowship  in  a  life  devoted  to  His  service 
and  glory. 

Looking,  then,  up  into  the  utmost  height  of 
the  cupola,  we  see  the  Risen  and  Glorified 
Christ,  surrounded  by  attendant  angels,  rising 
into  the  blue  starry  vault  of  the  sky,  "  ascending 
up  where  he  was  before,"  far  above  all  suns  and 
worlds.  He  is  seated  on  a  rainbow — and  there 
is  a  rainbow  under  His  feet — now  become  the 
token  of  an  "  everlasting  covenant  between  God 
and  every  living  creature  "  of  deeper  significance 
than  Noah  ever  knew.  Mountains,  that  have 
been  intimately  associated  with  Christ's  whole 
past  life — with  His  teaching,  with  prayer  to  His 
Father,  with  His  transfiguration — also  figure  on 
this  occasion.  And  so,  below  Him,  on  "  the 
mountain  where  Jesus  had  appointed  them,"  and 
from  which  the  Ascension  was  made,  stand, 
amongst  its  olives  and  palm  trees,  the  Apostles, 
the  Evangelists,  and  Mary.  The  Evangelists 
have  their  books  in  their  hands,  and  the  Apostles, 
with  two  exceptions,  their  scrolls.  Their  faces 
are  all  turned  upward  in  earnest  gaze,  and  their 
arms  and  hands  that  are  free  are  raised  in  token 
of  amazement,  or  to  shade  their  eyes  from  "  the 


280  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

excess  of  glory  "  that  they  may  the  better  see 
their  Lord.  Christ,  who  is  leaving  the  world  as 
He  entered  it,  a  King,  and  who  has  just  claimed 
before  them  universal  sovereignty,  "  all  power  is 
given  unto  me  in  Heaven  and  on  earth,"  and  who 
in  virtue  of  that,  has  laid  upon  them  His  royal 
mandate,  "  go  ye,  therefore,  and  make  disciples 
of  all  nations,"  and  has  given  them  the  promise 
of  His  perpetual  presence — "  Lo,  I  am  with  you 
all  the  days,"  now  bends  His  eye  down  upon 
them,  and  raising  and  stretching  His  right  hand 
over  them  (His  left  still  holding  the  scroll  of  the 
written  word),  blesses  them  ;  and  in  this  con- 
tinued attitude  and  act  of  benediction,  He  is 
"  parted  from  them  and  carried  up  into  heaven." 
The  two  men  in  white  apparel  who  appeared  to 
them  as  they  "  looked  steadfastly  toward 
heaven,"  stand  one  on  either  side  of  Mary. 
They  point  upward  to  Christ,  whilst  the  follow- 
ing words,  which  embody  those  spoken  by  them 
on  the  occasion,  and  show  the  sense  in  which  the 
Venetians  understood  them,  are  written  in  a 
circle  round  the  cupola  above  the  heads  of  the 
Apostles  : 

Dicile,  quid  slatis, 

Q,uid  in  athere  consideratis  ? 

Filius  iste  Dei, 

ChrisluSy  cives  Galilei, 


o   .^ 

W     2 


THE   ASCENSION  281 

Sumptus  ut  a  vobis 
Abiity  et  sic  arbiter  orbis 
"Judicii  cura 
Veni  et  dare  debita  jura. 

(Ye  men  of  Galilee,  why  stand  ye  gazing  up  into 
heaven  ?  This  same  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  as  He 
goes  away  taken  up  from  you,  shall  in  like  manner 
come,  Arbiter  of  the  world,  invested  with 
judgment,  to  give  to  men  their  just  deserts.) 

In  harmony  with,  and  in  extension  of  the 
thought  expressed  in  these  words,  that  the 
Christian  life  is  to  be  one,  not  of  contemplation, 
but  of  activity  in  carrying  on  "  all  that  Jesus 
began  both  to  do  and  teach"  until  He  comes 
again,  the  Venetians  have  placed  round  the  cupola 
under  the  Apostles'  feet,  in  the  wall- spaces 
between  the  little  windows.  Sixteen  Figures, 
representing  Sixteen  Virtues.  These  Virtues 
are  the  same  as  those  in  the  face  of  the  second 
archivolt  over  the  main  door  of  the  church  (pages 
36-40),  although  there  the  order  is  different,  and 
there  is  one  more  than  here.  Excepting  in  the  case 
of  one  virtue,  all  of  them  bear  scrolls,  as  in  the 
archivolt,  with  one  or  more  texts  of  Scripture 
written  on  them.  The  texts,  too,  are  almost 
identical,  excepting  in  the  case  of  Karitas  (Love). 
Each  virtue  is  thus  recognised  as  the  outcome  of 


THE   NEW   TESTAMENT 

the  word,  and  only  through  the  knowledge  of 
the  word  can  it  be  acquired.  And  the  text 
borne  by  each  figure  is  a  word  of  blessing. 
Every  virtue  brings  its  own  blessing.  Here  the 
beatitudes  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  meet  the 
Ascension  benediction.  The  outcome  of  a  life 
of  virtue  in  Christ  is  blessing  now,  and  leads  to  an 
ascension  like  His,  and  life  with  Him  hereafter. 
And  now,  as  we  look  eastward  in  order  to  begin 
to  read  these  virtues  and  their  legends — for,  like 
all  the  other  mosaics  in  the  church,  they  begin 
where  the  sun  rises,  and  follow  it  in  its  course 
across  the  heavens — we  see  two  crosses  in  the 
soffit  of  the  eastern  window,  and  two  peacocks 
drinking  out  of  an  overflowing  fountain  beneath 
it,  reminding  us  that  it  is  only  by  the  cross,  and 
by  a  new  regenerated  life  through  faith  in  Him 
who  died  on  it,  that  these  virtues  can  be  possessed 
and  manifested  by  us.  Mr.  Ruskin  thinks  they 
have  a  special  adaptation  "  for  sea  life,  and  there 
is  one  for  every  wind  that  blows." 

(i)  Temperantia  (Temperance).  —  This 
virtue,  unlike  all  the  others  in  the  cupola,  has  no 
scroll  and  no  text,  and,  unfortunately,  though  it 
has  a  scroll  in  the  archivolt  series,  the  text  has 
completely  disappeared.  There  is  only  the  name 
Temperantia  inscribed  to  the  left  of  the  figure, 
by  which  we  are  to  understand,  not  Temperance 


THE   ASCENSION  283 

in  one  thing,  but  in  all  things — temperateness, 
self-discipline,  and  self-government,  "  Reason's 
girdle,  and  passion's  bridle" — one  of  the  founda- 
tion-stones of  a  noble  character.  It  is  represented 
by  a  female  figure  pouring  water  from  a  vase  into 
a  bowl. 

(2)  Prudentia  (Understanding).  —  Text, 
Prov.  iii.  19  :  Stahilivit  calos  Prudentia  (By 
understanding  he  established  the  heavens).  This 
virtue,  unlike  the  former,  has  scroll  and  text, 
but  no  name,  although  in  the  text  the  name  is 
Prudentia.  The  translation  that  I  have  given  of 
the  word  expresses  its  real  meaning,  namely, 
not  prudence,  but  understanding,  or  intelligence, 
foreseeing,  and  practical  judgment,  the  applica- 
tion of  the  highest  wisdom  to  the  highest  ends. 
The  figure  holds  in  each  hand  a  serpent  erect,  or 
rather  a  dragon,  for  they  have  short  claws  and  wings. 

(3)  Humilitas  (Humility).— Text,  Matt. 
V.  3  :  Beati  pauperes  spiritu,  quoniam  ipsorum  est 
regnum  ccelorum  (Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit,  for 
theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven).  The  Venetians 
evidently  regarded  the  text  as  explanatory  of  the 
virtue,  as  referring  to  the  absence  of  pride  and 
conceit,  of  self-sufficiency,  and  self-complacency. 
The  left  hand  of  the  figure  holds  the  scroll,  and 
the  right  points  upward.  "  He  that  humbleth 
himself  shall  be  exalted." 


284  THE   NEW   TESTAMENT 

(4)  Benignitas  (Benignity).— Text,  Matt. 
V.  5  :  Beati  mites,  quoniam  ipsi  possidebunt  terram 
(Blessed  are  the  meek,  for  they  shall  inherit  the 
earth).  Here  again  the  text  explains,  or  supple- 
ments, the  virtue.  Benignity  is  the  outcome  of 
a  spirit  of  meekness.  And  these  virtues  in  the 
series  hang  together.  Benignity  is  the  conse- 
quence of,  has  as  its  foundation,  humility. 
The  figure  representing  the  virtue  has  the  left 
hand  raised,  and  the  right  holds  the  scroll  with 
its  text. 

(5)  Compulsio  (Compunction).  —  Text, 
Matt.  V.  4 :  Beati  qui  lugent,  quoniam  ipsi  consola- 
buntur  (Blessed  are  they  that  mourn,  for  they 
shall  be  comforted).  The  text  throws  light 
upon  the  meaning  of  the  name  given  to  the 
virtue,  which  is  not  compulsion,  or  constraint, 
but  repentance,  compunction,  sorrow  ;  not  "  the 
sorrow  of  the  world  which  worketh  death,"  but 
"  godly  sorrow  that  worketh  repentance  to 
salvation  not  to  be  repented  of."  The  figure 
is  mourning,  with  tears  on  her  cheek  and  her  left 
hand  on  her  heart.  In  her  right  hand  is  the 
scroll. 

(6)  Abstinentia  (Abstinence).  —  Text, 
Matt.  V.  6  :  Beati  qui  esuriunt  et  sitiunt  .  .  . 
quoniam  ipsi  saturabuntur  (Blessed  are  they  that 
do  hunger  and  thirst  after  righteousness  for  they 


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THE   ASCENSION  285 

shall  be  filled).  Here  name  and  text  seem  to  be 
in  opposition,  for  the  one  speaks  of  longing 
after  something,  and  the  other  of  refraining, 
standing  back,  or  holding  oneself  back  from 
something.  They  may  be  united  if  we  think  of 
that  enforced  abstinence  in  a  soul  whose  longings 
can  only  be  satisfied  when  it  "  sees  him  as  he 
is."  The  figure  holds  in  its  right  hand  a  plate 
of  bread,  and  in  its  left  a  vase  of  water. 

(7)  Misericordia  (Mercy). — Texts,  Matt. 
V.  7  :  Beati  Misericordes^  quoniam  ipsi  misericor- 
diam  consequentur  (Blessed  are  the  merciful,  for 
they  shall  obtain  mercy)  ;  and  Rom.  xii.  8  :  Q.ui 
miseretur  in  ilariiate  (Show  mercy  with  cheerful- 
ness). This  virtue  has  these  two  texts,  the 
former  on  its  scroll  in  the  right  hand  of  the 
figure,  the  latter  at  its  left  side  above.  The  old 
Venetians  felt  both  were  wanted.  Mercy  is 
kindness  to  the  undeserving,  and  is  usually 
manifested  only  by  those  who  "  hope  in  God's 
mercy,"  but  even  such  are  so  apt  to  show  mercy 
with  a  bad  grace,  to  forgive  with  a  grudge,  that 
they  need  to  be  reminded  of  Him  who  "  gives 
to  all  men  liberally  and  upbraideth  not,"  they 
need  to  be  exhorted  to  "  show  mercy  with  cheer- 
fulness." 

(8)  Patientia  (Patience). — Text,  Matt. 
V.  9  :   Beati  pacijici^  quoniam  filii  Dei  vocabuntur 


286  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

(Blessed  are  the  peacemakers,  for  they  shall  be 
called  the  children  of  God).  The  text  is  inti- 
mately connected  with  the  virtue.  Patience 
produces  peace,  as  impatience  is  often  the  cause 
of  dispeace.  The  patient  man  is  the  peace- 
maker, and  is  blessed  as  recognised  to  be  the 
child  of  the  God  of  peace.  No  word  is  more 
common  on  the  lips  of  an  Italian  than  pazienza 
(patience),  only  he  uses  it  almost  always  in  a 
wrong  way,  namely,  to  encourage  an  indolent 
resignation,  and  a  do-nothing  spirit,  something 
very  different  from  the  virtue  here  spoken  of. 

(9)  Castitas  (Chastity). — Text,  Matt.  v.  8  : 
Beati  mundo  corde^  quoniam  ipsi  Deum  videbunt 
(Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall  see 
God).  The  text  shows  that  the  Venetians  traced 
virtue  and  vice  to  its  source — the  heart,  and  in 
this  particular  case,  they  traced  chastity  to  its  only 
source — a  pure  heart.  The  figure  holds  the 
scroll  in  its  right  hand,  displaying  the  motto, 
whilst,  with  its  left  arm  raised,  and  the  fore- 
finger of  the  hand  extended,  the  others  being 
closed,  it  points  straight  upward. 

(10)  Modestia  (Moderation). — Text,  Luke 
vi.  22  :  Beati  erttts  cum  vos  oderint  homines 
(Blessed  are  ye  when  men  shall  hate  you).  As 
the  text  shows  the  word  Modestia  (from  modero, 
to  restrain)  is  taken  not  in  the  sense  of  modesty, 


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<  u 


<  < 


THE  ASCENSION  287 

but  in  its  original  sense  of  one  keeping  himself 
within  due  bounds,  exercising  self-restraint, 
moderation.  This  is  a  virtue  very  much 
wanted,  and  very  frequently  displayed  by  those 
who  are  hated,  and  "  separated "  from  other 
men's  company,  and  "  cast  out,"  as  the  text  goes 
on  to  say,  "  for  the  Son  of  Man's  sake."  The 
figure  is  very  straight,  and  its  left  hand  is  raised 
— the  open  palm  turned  outward  in  token  of 
calm  self-control. 

(ii)  Constantia  (Steadfastness). — Texts, 
Matt.  V.  10  :  Bead  qui  persecutionem  ■patiuntur 
propter  justitiam  (Blessed  are  they  who  suffer 
persecution  for  righteousness  sake)  ;  and  Matt. 
xxiv.  13  :  Q,ui  perseveraverit  usque  in  finem 
salvus  erit  (He  who  endures  unto  the  end 
shall  be  saved).  When  hatred  becomes  per- 
secution, then  the  virtue  of  steadfastness  or 
endurance  must  be  superadded  to  self-control, 
and  moderation.  Constantia^  as  we  saw,  holds 
the  place  of  honour  amongst  the  archivolt 
virtues — the  central  one,  appropriately  placed 
on  the  key-stone  of  the  arch.  Its  representation 
here  is  the  same,  only  there  is  a  fulness  of 
detail  that  is  lacking  on  the  archivolt.  Its  arms 
are  extended,  and  it  holds  in  each  hand  vertically 
a  disc  or  medallion.  On  that  in  the  right  hand 
is  the  head  of  Christ,  on  a  blue  ground  with  a 


288  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT 

red  aureole,  and  on  that  in  the  left  is  a  female 
head,  on  a  dark  blue  ground,,  with  a  white 
aureole,  whence  proceed  silver  rays.  As  we 
have  already  seen,  the  symbolism  of  red  is  day- 
light, and  here  the  dark  blue  with  white  signifies 
moonlight  ;  the  figures  are,  therefore,  those  of 
the  sun  (the  Sun  of  Righteousness)  and  of  the 
moon.  Besides  sustaining  these  medallions,  the 
hands  hold  suspended  from  them  scrolls,  on 
which  are  the  texts  above  given,  one  from  the 
earliest  and  one  from  the  latest  of  our  Lord's 
discourses.  The  symbolic  teaching  being,  as  we 
have  seen,  the  supreme  importance  of  Constantia 
in  the  Christian's  life,  which  he  has  to  maintain 
by  day  and  by  night,  as  long  as  the  sun  and 
the  moon  endure. 

(12)  Karitas  (Love). — Text,  i  Peter  iv.  8  : 
Fratres^  karitas  operii  multitudinem  ■peccatorum 
(Brethren,  charity  (love)  covers  a  multitude  of 
sins).  The  meaning  of  which  is,  that  my  love 
covers  from  mine  own  eyes  a  multitude  of  my 
neighbour's  sins.  Besides  this  text  on  the  scroll 
there  is  inscribed  on  the  left  of  the  head  of  the 
figure,  opposite  the  name  Karitas^  the  words, 
Mater  Virtutum  (Mother  of  Virtues),  for  all 
the  law  is  fulfilled  in  love  to  God  and  love  to 
man.  And,  again,  in  harmony  with  this,  the 
figure  of  Charity  itself  is  made  regal,  the  virtue 


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THE   ASCENSION  289 

is  a  Queen,  with  royal  diadem  and  robe,  and 
she  bears  in  her  left  hand,  besides  her  scroll,  a 
globe,  on  which,  and  above  which,  is  imprinted 
a  cross — another  symbol  of  sovereignty — and  her 
right  hand  rests  open  upon  her  heart.  Love  is 
a  specially  Christian  virtue,  for  whilst  "  God  is 
love,"  no  idol  has  ever  been  found  either 
embodying  love,  or  calling  forth  love  from  its 
worshipper, 

(13)  Spes  (Hope).— Text,  Ps.  Ixii.  8  (Ps.  Ixi. 
9,  Vulgate)  :  Sperate  in  Deo  omnis  congregatio 
populi  .  ,  .  Deus  adjutor  noster  est  (Hope  in 
God  all  ye  congregation  of  people,  .  .  .  God  is 
our  helper).  Hope  is  made  up  of  desire  and 
expectancy,  and  the  text  gives  both  its  object 
and  ground  in  the  case  of  the  believer.  The 
figure  of  Hope  is  straight,  and  its  right  hand  is 
raised,  "  Wherefore  lift  up  the  hands  which 
hang  down,  and  the  feeble  knees." 

(14)  Fides  (Faith). — Texts,  Rom.  i.  17  : 
Justus  ex  fide  vivit  (The  just  shall  live  by 
faith);  and  James  ii.  17  :  Nam  fides  sine  operibus 
vacua  est  (But  faith  without  works  is  dead). 
The  first  text  occurs  also  in  Gal.  iii.  1 1  and 
Heb.  x.  38  and  was  originally  spoken  by 
Habakkuk  (ch.  ii.  4).  The  Venetians,  fearing 
that  the  great  Pauline  doctrine  of  Justification 
by  Faith  might  be  misunderstood  and  abused, 


290  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT 

explained  and  supplemented  it  by  the  second 
text,  thus  again  showing  us  how  they  compared 
Scripture  with  Scripture.  Here,  also,  they 
reconcile  the  teaching  of  St.  Paul  and  St.  James 
on  the  question  of  faith,  which  many  have 
regarded  as  conflictive. 

(15)  Justitia  (Justice). — Text,  Ps.  xi.  7  (Ps. 
X.  8,  Vulgate)  :  Justus  Dominus,  et  justitiam 
dilexit,  equitatem  .  .  .  (The  Lord  is  righteous, 
and  he  loveth  righteousness  ;  the  upright  .  .  .) 
No  text  could  be  found  more  full  of  the  sanction 
of  righteousness,  and  also  of  its  reward,  for 
the  completion  of  the  verse  is — "  shall  behold 
his  face."  The  figure  is  holding  a  pair  of 
scales  in  the  right  hand,  and  a  box  of  weights 
with  the  scroll  in  the  left.  There  is  no  doubt 
this  virtue  lay  at  the  foundation  of  Venice's 
greatness,  for,  as  Mr.  Ruskin  reminds  us,  "  the 
first  words  she  ever  spoke  aloud  "  were  those  on 
the  gable  of  the  first  church  she  ever  built,  that 
of  San  Giacomo  in  the  market-place  of  the  Rialto, 
words  which  are  as  legible  to-day  as  when  carved 
over  ten  centuries  ago,  "  Around  this  temple  let 
the  merchant's  laws  be  just,  his  balances  true,  and 
his  covenants  faithful." 

(16)  Fortitudo  (Fortitude). — Text,  Ps.  Iviii. 
6  (Ps.  Ivii.  7,  Vulgate)  :  Molas  leonum  confringet 
'Dominus  (The  Lord  breaks  the  great  teeth  of 


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THE   ASCENSION  291 

the  lions).  The  figure  has  its  left  hand  on  a 
lion's  neck,  and  with  its  right  is  tearing  asunder 
its  jaws.  Fortitude,  courage,  intrepidity,  hero- 
ism, is  the  last  of  our  series  of  virtues,  and 
most  appropriately  so,  for  Locke  says,  "  Forti- 
tude is  the  guard  and  support  of  the  other 
virtues."  Yet  it  is  a  fortitude  that  lies  not  in 
the  strength  of  man,  but  in  that  of  the  Lord — 
"  I  can  do  all  things  through  Christ,  which 
strengtheneth  me." 

In  the  spandrels  below  this  circle  of  virtues, 
are  the  four  Evangelists,  writing  their  gospels. 
St.  Matthew  is  sitting  with  his  pen  in  his  hand, 
and  on  the  open  pages  of  his  book  are  the  words. 
Liber  generationis  Jesu  Christi  filii  David 
(The  book  of  the  generation  of  Jesus  Christ  the 
son  of  David).  St.  Mark  is  depicted  in  an 
attitude  of  thought.  He  has  paused  in  his 
writing,  and,  placing  his  elbow  on  the  open  page 
of  his  gospel,  is  resting  his  head  on  his  hand 
which  holds  his  quill.  He  has  just  begun  his 
story  thus,  Initium  Evangelii  Jesu  Christi 
Filii  Dei  (The  beginning  of  the  gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God).  St.  Luke  has 
his  book  before  him  on  a  low  green-covered 
writing-desk,  and  is  occupied  at  his  work.  He 
has  written  the  preface  to  his  gospel,  and  on  the 
open  page  we  see  the  first   words  of  the  fifth 


292  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

verse :  Full  in  diebus  Herodis^  regis  Jud<£a^ 
sacerdos  quidam  nomine  Zacharias  (There  was 
in  the  days  of  Herod,  the  King  of  Judea,  a 
certain  priest  named  Zacharias).  St.  John,  like 
St.  Mark,  is  sitting  as  if  he  had  paused  in  his 
writing  and  was  deep  in  meditation.  On  the 
open  page  we  read,  In  principio  erat  Verbum^ 
et  Verbum  erat  apud  Deum,  et  Deus  erat 
Verbum  (In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and 
the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was 
God). 

It  is  as  if  the  Evangelists  had  laid  to  heart 
the  advice  of  the  angels  and  were  no  longer 
spending  time  in  inactive  contemplation,  but 
were  carrying  out,  by  preaching  and  writing, 
their  Sovereign's  mandate,  to  preach  the  Gospel 
to  every  creature.  And  as  their  symbols  remind 
us,  each  did  this  in  his  own  way  from  his  own 
standpoint,  so  that  we  have  a  four-fold,  and 
therefore  a  full-orbed,  image  of  Christ  in  their 
united  work.  Above  the  heads  of  the  Evangel- 
ists are  the  following  words  : 

Sic  actus  Cristi, 
Describunt  quatuor  isti, 
Quod  neque  naturas 
Retinenty  nee  utrinque  jiguras. 

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THE   ASCENSION  293 

that  they  keep  back  neither  substance,  nor  on 
the  other  hand  figure.) 

Lastly,  in  this  Ascension  cupola,  below 
the  Evangelists  in  the  angles  of  the  vault, 
are  the  four  rivers  of  Paradise  ;  Gyon  under 
St.  Matthew,  Euphrates  under  St.  Mark, 
Tigres  under  St.  Luke,  and  Pison  under  St. 
John.  They  are  represented  here,  as  in  the 
mosaic  of  Paradise  in  the  atrium,  by  the  figures 
of  four  men  pouring  out  water  from  large  vases 
poised  on  their  shoulders,  only  that,  whereas 
there  they  are  sitting,  here  they  are  standing. 
The  four  rivers  of  Paradise  have  become  the 
four  streams  of  the  Gospel,  carrying  new  life 
and  new  fertility  into  the  four  quarters  of  the 
globe — undoing  the  curse  of  the  fall,  making 
the  wilderness  to  be  glad,  and  the  desert  to 
rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose — making  all 
things  new.  The  Ascension  of  Christ  is  thus 
shown  to  be  a  pledge  of  that  of  man  and  of 
nature — Paradise  restored  through  Christ's  Re- 
demptive Work. 


CHAPTER    IX 

PENTECOST 

WEST   CUPOLA 

The    Descent    of    the    Holy    Spirit    is 

closely  connected  with  the  fact  we  have  just  been 
considering — the  Ascension  of  our  Lord.  In- 
deed, the  one  is  the  consequence  of  the  other. 
He  "  ascended  on  high  ....  to  receive  gifts 
for  men."  "  It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go 
away,  for,  if  I  go  not  away,  the  Comforter  will 
not  come  unto  you,  but  if  I  go  I  will  send  him 
unto  you."  It  was  not  till  the  Descent  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  that  the  disciples  were  enabled  to 
realise  all  the  meaning  of  the  Ascension  as  it 
regarded  Christ — delivering  Him  from  all  the 
limitations  of  earth  and  time,  and  so  enabling 
Him  to  be  with  them  in  all  places,  "  all  the 
days  ;  "  and,  as  it  regarded  themselves — enduing 
them  "with  power  from  on  high"  to  go  forth 
to   all    nations,    preaching    a   universal   gospel. 


Photo  by  C.  Xaya 


n:  H.  IVardC-  Co. 


PENTECOST 
(West  Cupola) 


p.  294 


PENTECOST  295 

And  the  Venetians  seem  to  have  grasped  these 
truths,  for  they  have  treated  the  Descent  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  on  the  same  noble  lines  they  adopted 
for  the  Ascension  ;  and,  by  inscribing  it  in  the 
adjoining  west  cupola,  have  assigned  it  an  almost 
equally  important  position  in  the  church. 

In  the  apex  of  the  cupola  is  a  pure  white 
Dove,  behind  the  head  of  which  is  a  disc,  or 
nimbus — not  a  ring  or  circle  merely — of  pure 
gold,  thus  bringing  out  the  personality  and  the 
divinity  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  dove  stands 
upon  a  golden-clasped  Bible,  as  the  "  Spirit  of 
Truth,"  who  "  guides  into  all  truth,  for  he  shall 
receive  of  mine,"  said  Christ  to  His  disciples, 
"  and  shall  show  it  unto  you."  Lastly,  this 
Bible  is  placed  on  a  throne  on  which  lie  rich 
cushions  and  robes.  In  connection  with  the 
throne  and  its  royal  apparel,  it  is  interesting  to 
remember  what  Dr.  Richel  tells  us  in  his  "  Cults 
of  the  God  in  pre-Hellenic  Days,"  that  wor- 
shippers were  accustomed  to  set  empty  thrones, 
on  which  their  gods,  invisible  to  mortal  eyes, 
might  take  their  seats  ;  and  that  this  is  the  ex- 
planation of  the  empty  thrones  found  in  graves 
in  Tiryns,  Mycenae,  and  other  places.  The 
whole  arrangement  in  the  cupola  recalls  the 
Ark  of  the  Covenant  with  its  "  crown  of  gold," 
in  which  were  the  Tables  of  the  Law,  or  the 


296  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

Book  of  the  Law,  and  over  which  hovered  the 
Cherubim  ;  and  in  part,  also,  it  resembles  what 
the  Greeks  called  v  'Eroindaia  tov  Qpovov  (the 
Preparation  of  the  Throne).     Beneath  the  en- 
throned dove,  so  arranged  as  to  form  a  circle 
round  the  cupola,  sit  the  Twelve  Apostles 
in  the  order  in  which  they  are  named  in  Acts  i, 
12,  Peter,  James,  John,  Andrew,  Philip,  Thomas, 
Bartholomew,     Matthew,    James,    the    son    of 
Alphasus,  Simon  Zelotes,  Judas,  the  brother  of 
James   (called   by  the  Evangelists  Lebbasus,  or 
Thaddasus),  with  whom  is  associated  Matthias, 
who  was  elected  to   take    the    place    of  Judas 
Iscariot.     As  in  the  Ascension  cupola,  so  here, 
four   have    books,   and   eight   have   scrolls— no 
messenger  without  his  written  message,  and  we 
believe  that  wherever  the  early  disciples  went, 
they  translated  their  teaching  into  the  language 
of  the  country,  and  left  it  with  their  converts. 
Issuing  from  the  throne,  and  radiating  down- 
wards   till    they    connect    themselves    with    the 
Apostles,  are    twelve  white  rays  or  channels — 
channels  of  grace — by  which  flowed  into  them 
the  divine  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  whilst 
the    tongues    "  like    as  of  fire,"    that    appeared 
"  distributing  themselves    amongst    them,"  en- 
abling each  to  speak  "  as  the  Spirit   gave   them 
utterance,"  rest  on  their  heads.     Explanatory  of 


PENTECOST  297 

the  nature  and  effects  of  this  marvellous  scene, 
the  following  beautiful  and  significant  words 
girdle  round  the  cupola  : 

Spiritus  in  flammis^ 

Super  hos  distillat  ut  amnis  ; 

Corda  replens  munit^ 

Et  amoris  nexibus  unit ; 

Hinc  varia  gentes ; 

Miracula  conspicientes^ 

Fiunt  credentes 

Vim  linguce  percipientes. 

(The  Spirit  in  flames  distils  upon  them  like  a 
river  ;  filling  the  heart,  it  strengthens  it,  and 
unites  it  with  the  bands  of  love,  hence  various 
nations,  beholding  the  miracles,  are  made 
believers,  perceiving  the  strength  of  the  tongues.) 
The  Various  Nations  who  became  be- 
lievers from  hearing  the  Galilean  fishermen 
preach  to  them  in  their  own  tongues,  "  the 
wonderful  works  of  God,"  are  depicted  beneath 
the  Apostles,  in  the  wall-spaces  between  the 
windows  of  the  cupola.  According  to  the  text 
in  Acts  i.  9-1 1,  these  nations  were  sixteen  in 
number,  and  as  there  happen  to  be  exactly  six- 
teen wall-spaces,  there  is  one  for  each.  The 
representation  itself  is  simple,  picturesque,  and 
comprehensive.     Two  converts,  dressed  in  their 


298  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

native  costume,  stand  for  each  nation,  and  of 
these,  as  the  gospel  equalises  all,  one  is  a  man 
and  the  other  a  woman.  In  addition  to  the 
costume,  which  was  apparently  deemed  insuffi- 
cient of  itself  to  distinguish  them,  the  name  of 
the  nation  is  inscribed  above  each  group.  The 
order  followed  is  that  given  in  Acts,  which,  it 
has  been  observed,  is  that  "  of  the  three  great 
dispersions  of  the  Jews,  the  Chaldean,  Assyrian, 
and  Egyptian."  But  it  may  carry  our  thoughts 
back  to  an  earlier  dispersion,  even  to  that  of 
Babel,  and  we  may  well  see  in  this  gift  of  tongues 
and  common  understanding  of  the  Gospel,  an 
undoing  of  the  confusion  of  tongues  that  then 
took  place.  The  names  of  the  nations  are, 
Parthi^  Medi^  Elamita^  Mesopotamia^  Judaa, 
Cappadociay  Pontum,  Asiatici^  Phrygiam^  Pam- 
philiam^  Mgiptum^  Libiam,  Romania  Judei, 
Cretes,  and  Arahes. 

Lastly,  below  these  groups  of  figures,  in  the 
spandrels,  or  pendentifs  of  the  cupola,  are  Four 
Angels,  with  their  wings  outstretched  one 
toward  another.  Each  bears  a  laharum  in  its 
hand.  On  those  of  the  three  first  are  inscribed 
the  letters  SCS.  {Sanctus\  and  on  that  of  the 
fourth,  DNS.  (Dominus).  Then,  above  them, 
round  the  cupola,  the  words  continue,  Deus 
Sabaoth.     Pleni   sunt   cceli   et  terra  gloria  tua. 


PENTECOST  299 

Hosanna  in  excehis.  Benedictus  qui  venit  in 
nomine  Domini.  Hosanna  in  excelsis.  Thus  the 
I'risagion  {Tersanctus^  one  of  the  oldest  of  the 
doxologies  of  the  Greek  Church,  sung  by  the 
redeemed  Church  in  thanksgiving  for  the  out- 
pouring of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  brought  in  that 
new  Dispensation  of  the  Spirit  under  which  we 
live,  echoes  round  the  cupola,  filling  the  highest 
reaches  of  its  dome — "  Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Lord 
God  of  Hosts.  Heaven  and  Earth  are  full  of 
Thy  glory.  Hosanna  in  the  Highest.  Blessed 
is  he  who  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 
Hosanna  in  the  Highest." 


CHAPTER   X 

THE   ACTS   OF   THE  APOSTLES 

This  chapter  of  our  New  Testament  is  inscribed 
on  the  vaults  and  on  the  upper  halves  of  the 
walls  of  the  aisles.  As  all  the  twelve  Apostles 
are  severally  spoken  of,  about  some  of  whom 
little  or  nothing  is  told  us  in  the  Sacred  Canon, 
the  Venetians  have  gone  for  information  to 
Apocryphal  sources.  These  are  a  series  of  very 
ancient  documents,  which  give  the  traditional 
beliefs  as  to  the  countries  to  which  the  Apostles 
travelled,  the  work  they  did,  and  the  martyr 
deaths  they  died,  when,  in  obedience  to  their 
Master's  ascension-mandate,  and  after  they  had 
received  the  Holy  Ghost  at  Pentecost,  they  went 
into  all  the  world,  preaching  the  gospel.  The 
documents  were  originally  in  Greek,  and  were 
translated  into  Latin,  it  is  supposed,  as  early  as 
the  sixth  century.  Some  of  them  had  a  special 
interest  for  the  Venetians — as,  for  example,  those 
concerning  Philip  and   Bartholomew — as  Greek 


THE   ACTS   OF   THE   APOSTLES     301 

MSS,  of  them  came  early  into  their  hands,  which 
are  now  preserved  in  the  Library  of  St,  Mark. 
Although  our  chapter  tells  us  more  of  the  martyr- 
doms of  the  Apostles  than  of  their  lives,  I  have 
called  it  "The  Acts  of  the  Apostles." 
not  only  because  it  is  more  biblical  than  any 
other,  but  also  because  it  is  the  title  of  the 
Apocryphal  collection  so  largely  drawn  upon. 
One  half  of  it,  namely,  that  which  speaks  of  SS. 
John  and  James,  Peter  and  Paul,  Andrew  and 
Thomas,  is  inscribed  in  the  North  Aisle  of 
the  church  ;  and  the  other  half,  which  speaks  of 
SS.  James  the  Less,  Philip,  Simon  Zelotes,  Jude, 
Bartholomew  and  Matthew,  is  inscribed  in  the 
South  Aisle.  We  will  begin  with  the  former, 
which  unfortunately  are  all  modern,  and  have 
little  art  interest.  They  were  made  between  the 
years  1619  and  1624,  by  the  mosaic  workers 
Luigi  and  Girolomo  Gaetano,  uncle  and  nephew, 
and  by  Pasterini  and  Ceccato,  from  cartoons  by 
Palma  Vecchio,  Padovanino,  Aliense  and 
Tizianello,  Titian's  cousin. 

(i)  St.  John. — The  historian  Tacitus,  and 
the  satirist  Juvenal,  both  speak  of  the  reign  of 
terror  and  tyranny  that  disgraced  the  last  years 
of  theEmperorDominan(A.D.  81-96).  Amongst 
other  cruelties,  he  is  said  to  have  set  on  foot  a 
persecution  of  Christians.     Heaving  heard  of  the 


302  THE   NEW    TESTAMENT 

Apostle  John's  preaching  and  miracle-working  in 
Ephesus,  he  sent  a  centurion  with  soldiers  and 
had  him  brought  to  Rome.  He  then  made  him 
preach  in  his  presence,  and  as  John  spoke  of 
Christ's  universal  sovereignty,  and  his  coming 
again  to  reign,  the  Emperor  demanded  to  see 
signs,  wrought  in  the  name  of  this  King,  to  con- 
firm the  Apostle's  statements.  These  signs  form 
the  subject  of  the  mosaic  : 

{a)  Domitian  poisoned  a  sacramental  cup,  and 
made  John  drink  of  it  at  the  altar,  as  here  shown. 
The  Apostle,  however,  suffered  no  harm,  and  the 
poison  is  said  to  have  come  out  of  the  cup  in  the 
form  of  a  serpent. 

(^)  John  is  put  into  a  chaldron  of  boiling  oil. 
The  mosaic  shows  a  man  carrying  a  basket  of 
fuel  to  feed  the  flames,  another  bearing  a  jar  of 
oil  on  his  shoulder,  and  others  pushing  down 
and  holding  the  Apostle  in  the  chaldron.  Again 
he  suffers  no  harm.  Unable  thus  to  kill  him, 
the  Emperor  banished  him  to  Patmos.  The 
inscription  is :  Domitianus ;  vivus  subintrat 
iumulum. 

Further  scenes  in  the  life  of  St.  John  are 
recorded  in  the  cupola  of  the  north  transept,  but, 
owing  to  their  bad  state  of  repair,  and  the  absence 
of  light,  they  are  barely  decipherable. 

{c)  St.  John  in  Prayer. — The  Evangelist  is 


THE   ACTS   OF   THE   APOSTLES    303 

standing  alone,  his  hands  raised  in  the  attitude 
of  prayer.  Over  his  head  are  the  words  :  S. 
Johannes,  Evangelisia. 

{d)  St.  John  AND  Drusiana. — Returning  to 
Ephesus  after  his  banishment  to  Patmos,  St. 
John  met  a  company  carrying  to  burial  Drusiana, 
a  holy  woman,  with  whom  he  once  lodged.  Here 
he  stands  by  the  bier,  on  which  she  sits  up, 
having  been  restored  by  him  to  life.  The 
inscription  is  simply  :   Drusiana. 

(e)  St.  John  and  Stachys. — Stachys,  who  is 
associated  more  particularly  with  the  ministry  of 
Philip  and  Bartholomew,  and  who  was  ordained 
bishop  by  Bartholomew,  is  here  healed  by  the 
Evangelist.  As  before,  the  inscription  consists 
of  but  one  word  :  Stacteus. 

(/)  St.  John  and  the  Temple  of  Diana. — 
The  Evangelist  stands  before  the  tower,  repre- 
senting the  temple  of  Diana  at  Ephesus,  which  he 
causes  to  fall  by  prayer.  The  inscription  is  : 
Templum  Dian^e. 

(s)  John  drinking  a  poisoned  Cup. — 
There  are  two  versions  of  this  tradition.  One  is 
that  which  we  have  already  met  with,  namely,  that 
it  was  given  to  him  by  Domitian,  the  other  is  what 
is  here  represented,  that  it  was  given  to  him  by 
the  high  priest  of  Diana.  Two  men,  to  whom 
were  given  the  dregs  of  the  cup,  are  here  seen 


304  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

falling  forward  dead.  The  words  are  :  Venenum 
bihit. 

{Ji)  John  Preaching. — Lastly,  St,  John  is 
shown  preaching  to  a  crowd  of  people.  Before 
him  kneel  two  men,  whom  we  may  take  to  be 
the  high  priest  of  Diana,  and  the  Roman  pro- 
consul, who  became  his  converts.  The  inscription 
is  :   Omnes  crediderunt. 

(2)  St.  James  the  Greater.— There  were 
two  Apostles  who  bore  the  name  James,  distin- 
guished as  James  the  Greater,  and  James  the  Less. 
James  the  Greater  was  the  son  of  Zebebee,  and  the 
brother  of  St.  John,  and  was  one  of  the  three 
favoured  by  our  Lord  to  witness  both  His 
Transfiguration,  and  His  Agony  in  the  Garden, 
and  it  is  he  who  is  here  spoken  of. 

{a)  He  is  represented  preaching  before  king 
Herod  Agrippa  at  the  entrance  of  one  of  the 
gates  of  Jerusalem.  The  gateway  is  crowded 
with  people,  above  whose  heads  is  written  the 
word  :  Judea.  Conspicuously  in  front  of  them 
sit  doctors  of  the  law.  Their  faces  express  bitter 
hatred,  and  they  have  their  books  before  them, 
ready  to  bring  accusations  against  the  Apostle. 

(^b)  The  scene  is  changed  to  Herod's  castle  ; 
the  king  is  on  his  throne  with  his  high  priest 
beside  him.  Before  him  kneels  St.  James  with 
a  book  in  his  hand,  whilst  a  soldier  is  in  the  act  of 


THE   ACTS   OF   THE   APOSTLES     305 

beheading  him  with  a  sword,  as  we  read  in 
Acts  xii.  1-2,  This  was  about  ii  or  12  a.d. 
The  inscription  is  :  Sanctus  Jacobus  Apostolus 
occiditur  jussu  Herodis  regis. 

(3  and  4)  SS.  Peter  and  Paul.— The 
mosaic  that  speaks  of  these  Apostles  covers  the 
whole  upper-wall  space  of  the  aisle. 

{a)  The  legend  of  their  appearing  with  Simon 
Magus  before  the  emperor  Nero,  in  about  the 
year  67  a.u.,  is  portrayed.  Simon  Magus,  the 
Sorcerer,  of  whom  we  read  in  Acts  viii.  9-24,  as 
desirous  of  purchasing  "  the  gift  of  God  with 
money  "  (whence  our  word  simony),  is  said  to 
have  gone  to  Rome,  where  by  his  magical  arts  he 
ingratiated  himself  with  the  emperor.  St.  Peter 
was  then  in  Rome,  and  soon  after  St.  Paul  arrived, 
when  they  denounced  Simon  Magus.  Simon 
brought  them  before  Nero  as  impostors,  but  they 
turned  the  tables  on  him,  accusing  him  before  the 
emperor  as  being  a  sorcerer,  whilst  they  claimed  to 
be  honest  men.  Nero  was  at  a  loss  what  to  believe, 
when  Simon  Magus  undertook  to  prove  that  he 
was  the  Son  of  God,  by  ascending  to  heaven  from 
a  high  tower.  This  the  emperor  built,  and  on 
the  trial  day  Simon,  crowned  with  laurels, 
ascended  it,  and  began  to  fly  from  its  summit, 
borne  up  by  the  Prince  of  the  Power  of 
the  Air,  whom  he  served.     Nero  believed  him 

u 


306  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

to  be  a  god,  when  St.  Paul  knelt  down  and 
prayed,  and  besought  St.  Peter  to  adjure  the 
demons  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Nazareth 
to  let  him  go.  They  did  so,  and  the  mosaic  shows 
Simon's  tremendous  fall,  whereby  he  was  killed. 
Simon  had  once,  however,  pretended  to  have  died 
and  to  have  returned  to  life,  and  the  emperor, 
thinking  he  might  repeat  this  miracle,  caused 
St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  to  be  put  in  irons  to  await 
events.  As  Simon  did  not  revive,  he  accused  them 
of  murdering  him,  and  ordered  their  execution. 

(^b)  Their  martyrdoms  are  next  shown.  St. 
Peter  is  being  crucified  with  his  head  down,  this 
form  of  crucifixion  having  been  granted  him  at  his 
own  request,  as  he  deemed  himself  unworthy  to  be 
crucified  in  the  same  manner  as  Christ ;  and  St. 
Paul  is  being  beheaded,  because  as  a  Roman 
citizen  he  had  the  right  to  be  spared  the 
ignominy  of  crucifixion.  Stones  lie  scattered 
about,  but  they  are  probably  designed  rather  to 
suggest  an  open  country  than  that  they  were  used 
against  the  Apostles.  Both  are  said  to  have  gained 
the  martyr's  crown  on  the  same  day.  The 
inscription  :  Nero  Imperator  utrisque  Apostolis 
necem  dari^  alterum  crucifigi^  alterum  vero  gladio 
interfeci  jussit. 

(5)  St.  Andrew. — Andrew,  known  because 
of  his  humility  as  Simon  Peter's  brother,  was  yet 


THE   ACTS   OF   THE    APOSTLES     307 

"  in  Christ "  before  Peter,  and  was  the  means  of 
leading  him  to  Christ.  He  was  indeed  the  first 
disciple,  the  first  apostle,  the  first  evangelist  of 
our  Lord.  He  is  said  to  have  preached  the 
gospel  in  Scythia,  Greece,  Thracia,  and  Achaia. 
Tradition  says  that  in  this  last-mentioned  place,  in 
the  city  of  Patras,  he  boldly  rebuked  the  pro- 
consul Aegeus  for  persecuting  the  Christians.  He 
was  an  heroic  man,  and,  in  the  book  of  "  The 
Acts  and  Martyrdom  of  the  Holy  Apostle 
Andrew,"  a  long  account  is  given  of  his  firm, 
courageous  discourses  with  the  pro-consul,  whose 
threats  of  torture  and  death  he  defied.  The 
mosaic  represents  first  the  scene  before  his  cruci- 
fixion, when  Aegeus,  sitting  on  his  throne,  urges 
him  to  recant,  and  offer  a  libation  to  the 
gods,  which  the  Apostle  indignantly  refuses  to 
do.  It  then  represents  him  being  crucified 
on  a  Crux  Decusata^  hence  called  after  him  a  St. 
Andrew's  cross.  The  legend  says  that  he  was  not 
nailed,  but  tied  to  it,  so  that  his  agonies  might 
be  prolonged,  but  that  this  refinement  of  cruelty 
only  helped  on  the  cause  of  Christ,  as  he  was 
able  to  preach  to  the  people  for  hours  from  his 
cross,  with  the  result  that  twenty  thousand  of 
them  were  moved,  and  turned  against  the  tyrant 
Aegeus.  The  inscription  is  :  Sanctus  Andreas  in 
cruce  sic  patitur. 


SOS  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

(6)  St.  Thomas. — To  this  apostle,  according 
to  the  book  of"  The  Acts  of  Thomas,"  the  work 
of  evangelising  in  India  fell  by  lot,  and  to  that 
country  he  went  as  a  carpenter  with  Abbanes,  a 
merchant  of  King  Gundaphoros.  The  king 
commissioned  him  to  build  him  a  palace  in  the 
country,  and  sent  him  money  at  regular  intervals 
from  Andrapolis,  the  royal  city,  for  the  work. 
All  this  money  however  St.  Thomas  gave  to  the 
poor.  When  the  king  discovered  what  he  had 
done  he  put  him  in  prison.  On  learning,  however, 
in  a  vision,  from  his  brother  who  had  died,  that 
the  Apostle  had  built  him  a  palace,  a  "  building 
of  God,  an  house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in 
the  heavens,"  he  liberated  him,  and  became  him- 
self a  Christian.  The  first  part  of  this  mosaic 
represents  St.  Thomas  preaching  to  the  king, 
who  sits  on  his  throne,  surrounded  by  his  guards. 
Above  his  head  is  written  :  Rex  Indorum  Gunda- 
phorus.  By-and-bye  another  king  came  to  the 
throne  of  India,  called  Misdeus,  whose  wife  and 
son  became  converts  of  St.  Thomas.  Angry 
at  this,  Misdeus  accused  him  of  scorcery,  im- 
prisoned him,  and  finally  ordered  his  soldiers  to 
kill  him  by  spear-thrusts.  The  second  part  of 
the  mosaic  sets  before  us  his  martyrdom.  Angels 
above  his  head  proffer  him  a  celestial  crown, 
and    the  palm  of  victory.     As  is  well  known, 


THE  ACTS   OF  THE   APOSTLES    309 

Christians  calling  themelves  the  disciples  of  St. 
Thomas  have  existed  since  apostolic  times,  in 
the  south-western  part  of  Hindustan,  on  the 
Malabar  Coast.  A  further  inscription  runs  : 
Sanctus  'Thomas  Apostolus. 

(j)  St.  James  the  Less.  (This  and  the  fve 
following  are  in  south  aisle.  All  are  fine  old 
mosaics.) — St.  James,  called  the  Less  (Mark 
XV.  40)  to  distinguish  him  from  St.  James  the 
Greater,  was  the  son  of  Alphaeus  (Mark  iii.  18) 
and  is  often  identified  with  James,  the  Lord's 
brother,  spoken  of  by  St.  Paul  (Gal.  i.  19),  and 
considered  to  be  the  author  of  the  Epistle  of 
James.  He  was  probably  the  first  bishop  of 
Jerusalem,  and,  although  having  strong  Judaical 
leanings,  was  hated  by  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees, 
who  ultimately  procured  his  death,  by  thrusting 
him  from  a  pinnacle  of  the  temple.  The  mosaic 
sets  forth  his  martyrdom.  In  the  first  portion 
he  is  being  pushed  off"  the  pinnacle,  and  then  he 
is  seen  lying  on  the  ground,  where  a  man  with 
a  fuller's  club  is  ending  his  life.  On  either  side 
of  the  martyred  Apostle  stands  a  group  of  people, 
whose  faces  express  pride  and  hate.  Above  the 
one  is  written  the  word  Judei^  and  above  the 
other  Farisei.  The  mosaic  also  shows  a 
church,  and  the  body  of  St.  James  being  placed 
within  a  coffin,   apparently  for  burial  within  it, 


310  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

or     close    to    its   walls.     The    inscription    is  : 
Pelitur  a  tergo,  percussus  ohit^  sepelitur. 

(8)  St.  Philip. — St.  Philip  of  Bethsaida  is 
said  to  have  evangelised  in  Phrygia,  and  to  have 
died  a  martyr's  death  at  Hierapohs.  This  city 
was  also  called  Ophioryma,  which  signifies 
Serpents'  Town,  because  the  inhabitants  wor- 
fihipped  serpents  and  vipers,  and  especially  a 
huge  dragon,  that  was  the  personification  of  the 
god  Mars.  The  mosaic  represents  St.  Philip 
preaching  against  this  idolatry,  and  causing  the 
serpents  and  their  temples  to  be  destroyed. 
The  great  dragon,  with  its  scaly  body  and  fiery 
tongue,  is  seen  flying  away,  whilst  Stachys,  the 
Apostle's  host,  pulls,  by  means  of  a  rope,  the 
idol  Mars  from  the  top  of  its  column.  The 
legend  relates  that  Philip  was  subjected  to 
various  tortures,  under  which  he  displayed  a 
spirit  of  revenge,  for  which  he  was  punished  by 
the  Lord,  although  his  act  of  cursing  his 
enemies,  and  causing  the  earth  to  open  and 
swallow  them  up,  was  overruled  for  the  conver- 
sion of  many  people.  When  dying,  nailed  to  a 
tree,  he  gave  orders  that  his  body  should  be 
wrapped  in  Syriac  sheets  of  paper,  "  and  not," 
he  said,  "  in  flaxen  cloth,  because  the  body  of 
my  Lord  was  wrapped  in  linen,"  and  that  it 
should    be    bound    with    papyrus    reeds,    and 


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ST.    JAMES   THE    LESS 

and 

ST.    PHILIP 


THE   ACTS   OF  THE   APOSTLES    311 

be  buried  in  a  church  to  be  raised  on  the  spot 
where  he  died.  The  mosaic  shows  the  prepara- 
tion of  the  body  for  burial  in  this  church.  The 
inscription  is  :  Mars  ruii,  angiiis  abit^  surgunt^ 
gens  Scitica  credit.  Sanctus  Philippus  Apostolus^ 
rediens  a  Scitis^  Hierapolim  in  pace  quievit. 

(9  and  10)  Simon  Zelotes  and  Jude. — 
Simon  Zelotes  is  also  called  the  Canaanite,  this 
latter  word  not  being  however  a  Gentile  name  but 
a  Hebrew  word,  with  the  same  signification  as 
Zelotes,  zeal.  Jude  is  also  called  Judas,  and 
Lebbasus,  and  Thaddaeus.  Tradition  says  that 
Simon  and  Jude  were  brothers,  and,  probably, 
kinsmen  of  our  Lord.  It  assigns  to  them  the 
same  sphere  of  labour,  Syria,  Mesopotamia,  and 
Persia,  and  hence  they  are  united  here  in  one 
mosaic,  which,  like  that  of  St.  Peter  and  St. 
Paul,  occupies  the  whole  upper  wall-space  of  the 
aisle,  which  however  is  broken  into  by  three 
windows.  First  we  see  Simon,  with  his  hands 
outstretched,  directing  the  attention  of  the 
people  to  a  statue  on  the  top  of  a  lofty  ornate 
column.  Above  it  are  the  words,  Statua  solis. 
It  is  a  statue  to  the  Sun,  and  Simon  by  prayer 
is  making  the  solar  chariot,  with  its  horsemen 
and  horses,  to  fall,  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  a 
demon  to  hold  them  up.  On  the  other  side  of 
the  column  are  some  fierce  looking  men,  one  of 


312  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

whom  bears  a  drawn  sword.  Next  we  see  a 
reproduction  of  this  scene,  only  the  statue  is  to 
the  moon,  Statua  lun<e,  and  it  is  the  Apostle 
Jude  who  by  prayer  makes  the  lunar  chariot  to 
fall.  The  incidents  are  said  to  have  taken  place 
in  the  city  of  Senamur,  where  they  were  both 
martyred.  The  inscriptions  are  :  Jussu  Sanc- 
torum pereunt  simulacra  deorum.  Causa  subversi- 
onis  statute  solis  occisus  est  S.  Simon.  Propter  suh- 
versionem  simulacri  lun^  occisus  est  S.  'Judas. 

(ii)  St.  Bartholomew.  —  Bartholomew, 
who,  it  is  almost  certain,  was  none  other  than 
Nathanael,  upon  whom  our  Lord  pronounced 
the  eulogy,  "  Behold  an  Israelite  indeed,  in 
whom  is  no  guile,"  is  traditionally  believed  to 
have  evangelised  in  India,  and  both  Eusebius 
and  Jerome  state  that  when  Pant^nus  went  to 
India  in  the  second  century,  he  found  there  the 
Gospel  of  St.  Matthew  written  in  Hebrew, 
which  had  been  left  by  St.  Bartholomew.  The 
mosaic  first  represents  St.  Bartholomew  preach- 
ing in  the  temple,  which  we  may  suppose  to  be 
that  of  the  god  Astaruth,  from  whose  worship 
the  Apostle  was  able  to  turn  King  Polymius, 
the  queen,  and  their  sons  and  subjects  to  that  of 
Jesus.  King  Polymius  even  laid  aside  his 
diadem,  and  became  an  Evangelist,  accompanying 
Bartholomew,    and   eventually    was  consecrated 


THE   ACTS   OF   THE   APOSTLES    313 

bishop.  Next  we  see  the  martyrdom  of  Bar- 
tholomew. The  king's  brother,  Astreges,  stirred 
up  by  the  pagan  priests  and  their  followers 
whose  idols  had  been  destroyed,  seized  the 
Apostle,  and  had  him  flayed  alive.  Above 
the  heads  of  those  who  are  witnessing  the 
martyrdom  is  inscribed  the  word  Pontifices. 
The  inscription  runs  :  India  Superior,  qua  in 
-pr^^dicans  Sanctus  Bartholom.tus  occiditur.  Ex- 
coriant,  scindunt,  victi  se  vincere  fingunt. 

(12)  St.  Matthew.— St.  Matthew,  or  Levi, 
whom  Christ  called  from  the  receipt  of  custom, 

when 

At  once  he  rose  and  left  his  gold, 
His  treasure  and  his  heart  transferred, 

is  said  to  have  evangelised  in  Ethiopia.  The 
book  of  "  The  Acts  and  Martyrdom  of  St. 
Matthew  "  gives  a  long,  minute,  account  of  how 
he  was  the  means  of  converting  in  Myrna,  the 
city  of  the  Man-eaters,  Fulvana,  the  wife  of  the 
king,  Fulvanus  his  son,  with  his  wife  Erva,  and 
ultimately  the  king,  Fulvanus  himself.  First, 
the  mosaic  shows  the  Evangelist  baptizing  the 
king  by  immersion  in  a  stone  cistern,  and  above 
is  the  inscription,  Etiopia,  ubi  Regem  Etiopum 
cum  suis  baptizavit  S.  Mataus.  The  king  took 
the  name  of  Matthew,  and,  like  King  Polymius  of 
India,  ultimately  became  a  bishop.     Next,  the 


314  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

mosaic  represents  St.  Matthew  celebrating  the 
Holy  Communion  at  the  altar,  and  behind  him 
an  executioner  stands  with  his  sword  raised  to 
decapitate  him.  On  the  open  book  on  the 
altar  are  the  words,  In  manus  tuas^  Domine^ 
commendo  spiritum  meum.  Above  are  the  words  : 
Hos  lavacro  curat^  patitur^  sacrificans  orat. 
Hirtacus  rex  huic  pr^ecipit  hunc  feriendo  finire. 

On  a  pilaster  near  by,  there  is  a  female 
figure,  with  an  open  book  in  her  hand,  standing 
on  an  immense  block  of  stone,  on  which 
is  written,  Lapis  Angularis  (Corner  Stone). 
Above  her  head  are  the  words,  Jesus  Christus 
adaperiat  nobis  januam  cixli  (Jesus  Christ  throws 
open  to  us  the  gate  of  heaven),  and  Santa 
Ecclesia  (Holy  Church).  On  the  book  is  a 
verse  from  Ecclesiasticus  xxiv.  26,  Venite  ad 
me^  omnes  qui  concupiscitis  me,  et  a  genera- 
tionibus  .  .  .  (Come  to  me,  all  who  desire 
me,  and  to  all  generations  ye  shall  be  satisfied), 
the  whole  being  symbolical  of  the  Church 
"  built  upon  the  foundation  of  the  apostles  and 
prophets,  Jesus  Christ  himself  being  the  chief 
corner-stone." 

(The  Apostles  are  again  brought  before  us  in 
the  Baptistery,  and  in  the  Chancel  Organ  Loft, 
see  Appendix,  Note  G.) 


CHAPTER   XI 

REVELATION 

The  different  scenes,  from  the  Book  of 
Revelation,  which  form  our  closing  chapter, 
are  inscribed  in  the  west  end  of  the  church. 
They  begin  on  the  vault  that  spans  the 
nave,  immediately  in  front  of  the  west  gallery  ; 
they  are  continued  in  the  galleries  to  right 
and  left,  at  the  spring  of  the  vault  ;  and 
they  finish  in  the  great  vault  of  the  west  gallery, 
in  front  of  the  facade  window.  They  are  all 
modern  mosaics,  those  that  begin  the  series 
being  by  the  brothers  Francesco  and  Valerio 
Zuccato,  from  cartoons  by  E.  Paoletti,  and 
Palma  Giovane  ;  and  those  that  close  it  by 
Bartolomeo  Bozza,  Marini,  and  Gaetano,  from 
cartoons  by  Jacopo  and  Domenico  Tintoretto. 
They  are  famous  mosaics  in  history,  not  because 
of  any  merit  they  possess,  but  because  of 
a  great  lawsuit  they  gave  rise  to,  which  was 
instituted    by    the    Procurators   of    St.    Mark 


316  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

against  the  brothers  Zuccato,  at  the  instance  ot 
Bartolomeo  Bozza  and  others.  The  case  was 
begun  on  May  9,  1563,  and  the  accusation  was 
that  the  brothers  Zuccato  had  used  the  brush  in 
their  work,  producing  certain  effects  by  painting 
over  a  gold  ground,  instead  of  putting  in 
coloured  tesserae.  Amongst  the  witnesses  called 
were  all  the  famous  painters  of  the  day,  Titian, 
Tintoretto,  Paolo  Veronese,  and  Sansovino. 
Titian  and  Tintoretto  gave  evidence  in  favour 
of  the  defender,  and  reviled  Bartolomeo  Bozza, 
the  accuser,  telling  him  his  own  work  was 
inferior  to  that  of  those  he  accused  and  "  non 
moho  onerevole "  (not  very  honorable).  The 
trial  closed  on  August  30  and,  notwithstanding 
this  defence,  the  brothers  Zuccato  were  found 
guilty,  and  were  condemned  to  re-do  all  the 
work  at  their  own  expense.  But  the  history  of 
these  mosaics  does  not  end  here.  They  were 
restored  about  thirty  years  ago  and  the  same 
thing  happened.  The  mosaic-workers  were 
accused  of  putting  up  bad  work,  and  of  using 
the  brush  ;  a  long  trial  ensued,  they  were 
found  guilty,  and  the  mosaics  were  re-made 
at  their  expense. 

(i)  Christ  in  the  Midst  of  the  Seven 
Golden  Candlesticks. — This  mosaic,  in  the 
apex  of  the  vault,  sets  forth  sufficiently  clearly  its 


REVELATION  317 

subject — Christ  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  golden 
candlesticks — but  it  has  the  fault  of  all  the 
modern  mosaics  in  being  inaccurate  in  its  details. 
Our  Lord's  appearance  and  dress  correspond  in 
but  few  particulars  with  the  description  so 
minutely  given  by  St.  John  (Rev.  i.  13-15), 
which  sets  forth  His  sovereignty.  The  Seven 
Candlesticks  are  correctly  represented  as  separate 
from  each  other,  and  not  forming  a  seven- 
branched  one  like  that  of  the  Tabernacle.  The 
seven  stars,  however,  which  Christ  held  in  tlis 
right  hand  as  a  wreath,  are  here  set  on  and  around 
His  left  hand,  which  also  holds  "  the  keys  of 
hell  and  of  death."  There  is  also  the  "  sharp 
two-edged  sword,"  the  Word  of  God,  which 
proceedeth  out  of  His  mouth.  The  figure  under 
this  is  that  of  St.  John  asleep. 

(2)  The  Seven  Churches  of  Asia  with 
their  Angels. — In  Rev.  i.  20,  we  read,  "  The 
mystery  of  the  seven  stars  which  thou  sawest  in 
my  right  hand,  and  the  seven  golden  candlesticks. 
The  seven  stars  are  the  angels  of  the  seven 
churches,  and  the  seven  candlesticks  which  thou 
sawest  are  the  seven  churches."  In  conformity 
with  this  interpretation,  the  mosaic  shows  seven 
minature  buildings,  each  in  the  care  of  an  angel 
— Ephesus,  Smyrna,  Pergamos,  Thyatira,  Sardis, 
Philadelphia,  and  Laodicea.     Above  the  mosaic 


318  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

are  the  words  :   Q,Uce  refero  recte  gradihus  servare 
iubete. 

(3)  The  Lamb  in  the  Midst  of  the 
Redeemed. — The  mosaic  does  not  very  clearly 
set  forth  any  single  scene  in  Revelation,  but  the 
inscription  over  it :  Beali  qui  ad  ccenam  nuptiaruni 
Agni  vocati  sunt  (Blessed  are  those  who  are  called 
to  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb),  shows  that  it 
is  designed  to  set  forth  what  is  described  in 
Rev.  xix.  7-9.  In  the  midst  is  the  Lamb,  and 
around  it  are  the  four  Evangelists  in  symbol, 
and  further  off  are  the  representatives  of  the 
different  nations  who  heard  Christ's  voice,  and 
opened  the  door,  and  who  now  experience  the 
fulfilment  of  His  promise  made  to  such,  "  I  will 
come  in  to  him,  and  will  sup  with  him,  and  he 
with  me"  (Rev.  iii.  20). 

(4)  The  Woman  and  the  Dragon. — 
Immediately  below  the  former  mosaic  is  one 
descriptive  of  what  St.  John  records  in  Rev.  xii. 
regarding  the  Woman  and  the  Dragon.  First, 
there  is  "  a  woman  clothed  with  the  sun,  and 
with  the  moon  under  her  feet,  and  upon  her 
head  a  crown  of  twelve  stars,"  to  whom,  also, 
"  were  given  two  wings  of  a  great  eagle  that  she 
might  fly  into  the  wilderness  ....  from  the 
face  of  the  serpent."  Secondly,  there  is  the 
"  great  red  dragon  having  seven  heads  and  ten 


REVELATION  319 

horns,  and  seven  diadems  upon  his  heads,"  and 
whose  "  tail,"  lashed  in  fury,  "  drew  the  third 
part  of  the  stars  of  heaven,  and  did  cast  them  to 
the  earth,"  and  which  "  did  cast  out  of  his 
mouth  water  as  a  flood  after  the  woman,  that  he 
might  cause  her  to  be  carried  away  with  the 
flood."  Lastly,  there  is  the  man-child  that  the 
woman  bore,  "  who  was  to  rule  all  nations  with 
a  rod  of  iron,"  being  borne  upward  by  angels  to 
God.  The  inscription  is :  Cum  nato  mulier 
liberatur  jure  draconis. 

(5)  St.  Michael  and  the  Dragon.— On 
the  other  side  of  the  vault,  opposite  the  Woman 
and  the  Dragon,  is  the  combat  between  St. 
Michael  and  the  Dragon.;  St.  Michael,  clothed  in 
armour,  is  meeting  the  onslaught  of  the  dragon 
with  his  long  spear.  The  words  descriptive  of 
this  in  Rev.  xii.  7,  are  "  And  there  was  war  in 
heaven,  Michael  and  his  angels  fought  against 
the  dragon  ....  and  the  great  dragon  was 
cast  out."  The  inscription  here  is  :  Jam  reg- 
naturus  vincit,  nunc  hie  superatur. 

(6)  St.  John  Eating  the  Book.— Below 
the  last  mosaic  is  one  descriptive  of  what  we  read 
in  Rev.  x.  of  a  strong  angel  coming  down  from 
Heaven  with  a  little  book  open,  which  the 
Evangelist,  in  obedience  to  the  divine  command, 
took  out  of  the  angel's  hand,  and  ate  up,  which 


320  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

we  know  means  that  he  mastered,  or  assimilated 
its  contents.  So  in  Ezekiel  iii,  i,  we  read, 
"  Son  of  man,  eat  this  roll,  and  go  speak  unto 
the  house  of  Israel  ;  "  and,  in  Jer.  xv.  i6,  "  Thy 
words  were  found  and  I  did  eat  them  ;  "  and, 
in  common  parlance,  we  have  the  saying,  "  He 
devoured  the  book,"  Over  St.  John's  head 
are  written  the  words  Scs.  Joannes,  Ev.,  and  at 
his  feet,  Tales  scripture  sunt.  Then,  around 
the  arch  of  the  vault,  with  reference  to  the 
Evangelist,  and  to  a  crowd  of  people  who  are 
looking  towards  him,  is  :  Librum  gustavit  popu- 
lis  Ventura  notavit. 

(7)  St.  John  Teaching. — The  mosaic 
corresponding  to  St.  John  Eating  the  Book,  on 
the  other  side  of  the  vault,  is  one  representing 
him  teaching  the  people.  He  first  received  the 
divine  message  himself,  and  then  he  deHvered  it 
to  others.  He  stands  holding  the  book  in  his 
left  hand,  and  his  right  hand  is  raised  as  he 
speaks  to  those  before  him.  Referring  to  this 
mosaic  are  inscribed  the  words  :  duce  liber 
coelat  gente  prescita  revelat. 

(8)  Christ  the  Lamb  opening  the 
Seven-Sealed  Book.  {In  the  right  gallery,  at 
the  spring  of  the  vault.') — This  mosaic  brings 
before  us  what  we  read  of  in  Rev.  iv,  and  v., 
namely,  that  the  Lamb  in  the  midst  of  the  throne 


REVELATION  321 

alone  was  found  able  to  open  the  Book  sealed 
with  seven  seals. 

(^)  First,  there  is  depicted  the  throne  that 
was  set  in  Heaven,  and  Him  who  sat  thereon, 
who  is  surrounded  by  the  four  beasts,  or  living 
creatures,  each  having  six  wings.  The  en- 
throned One  supports  with  His  right  hand  a 
Book,  written  within  and  on  the  back,  and 
sealed  with  seven  seals — that  is  to  say,  complete 
as  to  its  contents,  and  closely  sealed.  This 
Book  a  Lamb,  with  seven  horns  symbolical  of 
perfect  power,  is  essaying  to  open. 

{h)  A  second  figure  of  the  Lamb  shows  that 
it  "  hath  prevailed  to  open  the  book,  and  to 
loose  the  seven  seals  thereof." 

(t)  On  either  side  of  the  throne  are  the  four 
and  twenty  Elders  seated  on  smaller  thrones — 
twelve  patriarchs  and  twelve  apostles,  represen- 
tative of  the  Old,  and  the  New  Testament 
Churches — clothed  in  white  raiment,  and  with 
golden  crowns  in  their  hands,  the  rewards  of 
endurance,  which  they  are  presenting  to  Christ. 
This  mosaic  is  the  work  of  Jacopo  Pasterini 
from  a  cartoon  of  Maffeo  Verona,  i6 15-1620. 

(9)  The  Opening  of  the  Seven  Seals. — 
The  wall-space  did  not  admit  of  the  illustration 
of  the  opening  of  all  the  seven  seals  as  recorded 
in    Rev.    vi.,    but    the    first    four,    which   are 

X 


322  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT 

accompanied  by  the  ministration  of  the  four 
Living  Creatures,  symbolical  of  divine  dispen- 
sations, and  the  last  seal,  are  depicted. 

First  Seal. — A  white  horse — symbolical  of 
victory — whose  rider,  with  a  bow  and  arrows, 
goes  forth,  "  conquering  and  to  conquer,"  as  we 
read  in  Ps.  xlv.  :  "  And  in  thy  majesty  ride 
prosperously  because  of  truth  and  meekness 
and  righteousness.  .  .  .  Thine  arrows  are  sharp 
in  the  heart  of  the  king's  enemies  " — symbolical 
of  victory  for  Christ's  Church. 

Second  Seal. — A  red  horse — symbolical  of 
war — whose  rider  carries  a  great  sword,  with 
power  "  to  take  peace  from  the  earth." 

Third  Seal. — A  black  horse — symbolical 
of  mourning — whose  rider  has  a  pair  of  balances 
in  his  hand,  symbolical  of  Scarcity. 

Fourth  Seal. — A  pale,  or  livid,  horse — 
symbolical  of  pestilence — having  two  riders, 
Death  and  Hell,  or  Hades,  to  retain  death's 
victims. 

Seventh  Seal. — Seven  angels,  and  an  eighth 
one  with  a  golden  censer,  of  which  we  read 
in  Rev.  viii  1-3,  "  And  when  he  had  opened 
the  seventh  seal  ...  I  saw  the  seven  angels 
which  stood  before  God,  and  to  them  were 
given  seven  trumpets,  and  another  angel  came 
and  stood  at  the  altar,  having  a  golden  censer." 


REVELATION  S23 

The  breaking  of  this  last  seal  lets  the  Book 
be  opened — the  Roll  to  be  unloosed. 

This  mosaic  bears  the  date  1585,  and  the 
inscription  is  : 

Albus  adest  primo  macro  ■pallenti  et  opimo, 
Et  ascensorum  sequitur  par  forma  colorum. 

(10)  The  King  of  Kings  and  the  Lord 
of  Lords,  with  the  Hosts  of  Heaven.  {At 

the  spring  of  the  vault  in  the  left  gallery.^ — This 
mosaic  portrays  what  the  Evangelist  records  in 
Rev.  xix.  Christ  "  the  Faithful  and  True," 
"  The  Word  of  God,"  on  a  white  horse,  followed 
by  the  armies  of  His  saints  and  angels,  also 
on  white  horses,  rides  forth  triumphantly  to 
victory.  All  are  clothed  in  fine  linen,  white  and 
clean,  but  that  of  our  Lord  is  coloured  to 
suggest  the  "  vesture  dipped  in  blood."  This 
mosaic  bears  the  initials  F,  Z.  V.  F.,  and  the 
date  1590.     Above  it  are  the  words  : 

Rex  Regum  et  Dominus  Dominantium, 
Patri  adit  Uerbum^  comptum  Diademate 

Regum^ 
Ccelum  ccelorum  cum  millibus  atque  piorum. 

(11)  The  Last  Judgment. — Seated  on  a 
rainbow,  Christ  is  here  shown  "  coming  in  the 
clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory."  In 


524  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

His  left  hand  is  an  open  book,  on  which  are  the 
words  He  used  whilst  on  earth  to  proclaim 
Himself  "  at  once  the  preacher  of  salvation, 
and  the  salvation  that  he  preached,"  Ego  sum 
via,  et  Veritas,  et  vita  (John  xiv.  6).  At  His 
right  is  Mary  and  at  His  left  His  Forerunner, 
and  He  is  attended  by  cherubim  and  angels. 
Beneath  Him  there  is  a  throne  set — the  throne  of 
Judgment,  and  on  it  lie  rich  cushions  and  robes 
and  a  golden  clasped  book — the  book  of  Judg- 
ment, an  arrangement,  so  far,  similar  to  that 
which  we  saw  in  connection  with  the  Descent  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  But  here  there  is  also  "  the  sign 
of  the  Son  of  man  in  heaven,"  interpreted  to  mean 
the  figure  of  the  cross,  and  around  it  are  set  the 
crown  of  thorns,  the  spear,  and  the  nails.  The 
whole  is  a  complete  Greek  Eroi^acria  tov  G^oovou 
(Preparation  of  the  Throne),  the  idea  of  which, 
as  we  have  seen,  goes  back  to  pre-Hellenic 
days,  and  to  the  times  of  Moses.  Below  the 
cross  are  our  first  parents,  and  on  either  side  of 
Christ  and  the  judgment-seat,  attended  by 
angels  with  lilies,  are  the  twelve  Apostles,  who, 
having  followed  Christ,  are  now  receiving  the 
fulfilment  of  His  promise,  "  in  the  regenera- 
tion, when  the  Son  of  Man  shall  sit  in  the 
throne  of  his  glory,  ye  also  shall  sit  upon 
twelve  thrones,  judging    the   twelve    tribes  of 


REVELATION  325 

Israel."  Each  Apostle  has  his  book  with  his 
name  written  on  its  cover,  and  there  are  six  on 
either  side  of  Christ,  namely,  on  His  right  hand, 
Simon  Zelotes  and  Thaddasus  (Jude),  our  Lord's 
kinsmen,  James  the  Greater,  John,  Peter,  and 
James  the  Less  ;  and  on  His  left,  Philip, 
Bartholomew,  Matthias,  Andrew,  Thomas,  and 
Paul.     Over  their  heads  are  the  words  : 

Fnesidet  in  coelis  cum  Christo  turba  fidelis^ 
Jure  cohoeredes  patris  unica  confine t  cedes^ 
Inclyta  turba  senum  decus  assidet  hie  duode- 
num^ 
Mundi  rectores  statuunt  in  cede  priores. 

(13)  HelL — This  is  represented  below  the 
Apostles  at  Christ's  left  hand.  Tongues  of 
flame,  issuing  from  beneath  the  feet  of  John  the 
Baptist  ("  .  .  .  he  will  burn  up  the  chaff  with 
unquenchable  fire  "),  circle  round  the  wall  and 
enter  the  wide-open  jaws,  armed  with  great 
teeth,  of  an  all-devouring  dragon,  into  which 
the  lost  are  being  driven  by  angels,  and  dragged 
by  demons.  Depicted  separately,  at  one  angle 
of  the  mosaic  is  Judas  hanging  himself,  and  at 
the  other  three  men  being  bitten  by  serpents, 
and  Dives  in  torment,  with  his  finger  to  his 
tongue,  which  are  designed  to  symbolise  "  the 
lust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eyes,  and  the 


326  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

pride    of    life.     Above    the    mosaic    are    the 
words  : 

Perpetuis  digni  cruciatihus  ite  maUgni^ 
duos   tenet  Mternus^  vorat,    urit  et  angit 
avernus. 

(12)  Heaven. — Below  the  Apostles,  at 
Christ's  right  hand,  is  Heaven,  represented  by 
the  company  of  the  Redeemed,  "  the  goodly 
fellowship  of  the  Prophets,  the  noble  army  of 
Martyrs."  Mary  is  at  one  end,  and  the  penitent 
thief,  clinging  to  the  cross,  at  the  other, 
and  between  them  is  "  the  tree  of  life,  which 
bare  twelve  manner  of  fruits,  and  yielded  her 
fruit  every  month,  and  the  leaves  of  the  tree 
were  for  the  healing  of  the  nations."  Above 
the  tree  is  the  word  Paradise,  and  above  the 
saints  the  lines  : 

Ad  reguum  vita^  henedicti  quique,  venite. 
Est  aterna  quibus  pax,  gloria,  lux  paradisus. 

This  subject  of  Heaven,  as  if  felt  to  be  too 
great,  too  joyous  a  one,  to  be  dealt  with 
entirely  here,  flows  over  on  to  the  wall  of  the 
north  aisle.  The  modern  mosaic  there,  though 
extremely  faulty  in  its  upper  half,  which  does 
violence  to  Scripture  and  to  reason  in  its 
materialising  of  God    the   Father,   and   in    the 


REVELATION  327 

position  given  to  the  Madonna,  as  well  as  in  its 
inscription  regarding  St.  Peter,  yet,  in  its  lower 
half,  sets  forth  not  unworthily  the  assembly  of 
the  blessed.  Many  of  the  Patriarchs,  Prophets, 
Apostles,  Founders  of  the  Church,  in  the  East 
and  the  West,  Confessors  and  Saints,  are  here 
distinguished  by  their  signs  and  symbols — Noah 
by  his  ark,  Moses  by  the  Tables  of  the  Law, 
David  by  his  harp,  Stephen,  the  proto-martyr, 
by  a  stone  and  palm  branch,  Jerome  by  his 
translation  of  the  Bible,  and  those  who  died  for 
the  faith  by  the  instruments  of  their  sufferings. 
On  the  mosaic  itself  are  the  words,  Venite 
benedicti  fat  .  .  .  ,  suggesting  that  the  saints 
display  their  works  as  the  fruit  and  proof  of 
faith,  in  harmony  with  our  Saviour's  words, 
"  Come  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the 
kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation 
of  the  world.  For  I  was  an  hungred  and  ye  gave 
me  meat  ;  I  was  thirsty  and  ye  gave  me  drink  ; 
I  was  a  stranger  and  ye  took  me  in  ;  naked  and 
ye  clothed  me  ;  I  was  sick  and  ye  visited  me  ; 
I  was  in  prison  and  ye  came  unto  me."  Then 
on  a  pilaster  to  the  right  is  a  figure  of  Christ 
looking  towards  the  saints,  with  an  open  book 
in  His  hand,  on  which  are  the  words  :  Omnis 
qui  confitehitur  me  coram  hominibus^  confitebor  et 
ego  eum    coram  Patre  meo "  (Whosoever   shall 


328  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT 

confess  me  before  men,  him  will  I  confess  also 
before  my  Father), 

Lastly,  on  the  edge  of  the  vault,  bringing 
these  closing  scenes,  and  indeed  the  whole 
teaching  of  the  Bible  of  St.  Mark,  to  bear 
practically  on  character  and  on  life,  is  in- 
scribed : 

Post  finem  mundi,  nobis  nunc  pr^dico  cunctisy 
Quod  Deus  injustis  mala  tribuet^  et  bona  justis. 

— words  that  are  an  echo  of  those  of  St.  John 
and  St.  Paul,  "  Behold  I  come  quickly,  and  my 
reward  is  with  me,  to  give  every  man  according 
as  his  work  shall  be.  Tribulation  and  anguish 
upon  every  soul  of  man  that  doeth  evil,  of  the 
Jew  first  and  also  of  the  Gentile.  But  glory, 
honour,  and  peace  to  every  man  that  worketh 
good,  to  the  Jew  first,  and  also  to  the 
Gentile." 

The  words  that  close  the  Sacred  Canon  of 
Scripture  may  fitly  close  also  the  BIBLE 
OF  ST.  MARK. 

"  He  which  testifieth  these  things 
SAiTH,  Surely  I  come  quickly.  Amen. 
Even  so,  come,  Lord  Jesus. 

"  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 

BE  with    you   all.       AmEN." 


APPENDIX 


APPENDIX 

NOTES  A.   AND   B.— ADDITIONAL   SCENES 
IN    THE    LIFE    OF    ST.    MARK 

Note  A.— Mosaics  in  Chancel. 

{North   Organ  Loft.) 

( 1 )  St.  Mark  being  consecrated  bishop  by  St.  Peter 
and  receiving  a  crozier.  On  a  double  arch  is  written 
the  word  Roma^  to  suggest  where  this  took  place. 

(2)  St.  Mark  heals  a  leper,  who  is  represented  as 
covered  not  with  white  but  with  black  spots. 

(3)  St.  Mark  has  his  hand,  in  the  attitude  of  bap- 
tism, on  the  head  of  the  cleansed  leper,  who  kneels 
before  him. 

(4)  St.  Mark's  companion,  Hermagoras,  being  con- 
secrated bishop  by  St.  Peter,  and  receiving  the  crozier. 

(5)  St.  Mark,  with  his  gospel,  in  Alexandria,  the 
name  being  written  inside  two  arches  representing 
that  city. 

(6)  St.  Mark's  companion,  Hermagoras,  baptizing 
the  inhabitants  of  Aquileia.  One  man  is  in  the  bap- 
tismal font,  and  one,  his  sponsor,  stands  beside  it. 

(7)  St.  Mark  preaching  to  the  people.     There  is  a 


332  APPENDIX 

solid    brick   tower    behind    him,    probably    indicating 
Rome. 

(8)  St.  Mark  baptizing.  A  catechumen  kneels, 
and  the  evangelist  pours  water  on  his  head. 

(9)  St.  Mark,  in  a  boat,  commanded  to  go  to 
Alexandria  by  an  angel,  who  appears  above  him. 

(10)  St.  Mark  healing  the  shoemaker,  Anianus, 
who  stands  before  him  with  a  knife  and  a  sandal  in 
his  hands.  Two  arches  are  inscribed  with  the  word 
Alexandria. 

(11)  St.  Mark  is  celebrating  the  Holy  Communion, 
when  two  Egyptians  represented  as  negroes,  fix  a  rope 
round  his  neck  and  strangle  him.  People  in  the  church 
are  depicted  weeping. 

(12)  St.  Mark's  body  is  being  put  into  a  sarcophagus 
by  two  men,  whilst  Anianus,  whom  St.  Mark  made  a 
bishop,  holds  over  it  his  gospel  with  letters  on  its  open 
page  that  suggest  the  word  Kvpioc  (Lord).  The 
church,  with  the  altar  at  which  he  was  martyred,  is  also 
outlined  as  his  place  of  burial. 

(There  are  two  other  mosaics  here,  but  completely 
hidden  behind  the  organ,  which  depict  what  we  read 
of  in  Acts  XII.  of  the  imprisonment  of  St.  Peter  by 
King  Herod  and  of  his  miraculous  liberation,  when  he 
went  "to  the  house  of  Mary,  the  mother  of  John, 
whose  surname  was  Mark.") 

{In  South  Organ  Lofi.) 

(13)  St,  Mark's  body  taken  out  of  its  sarcophagus 
by  Theodorus  the  priest,  Stauracius  the  monk,  and  the 
two  Venetian  sea-captains,  Tribunus  and  Rusticus. 
The  n^mes  of  these  men  are  written  up  above  their 


APPENDIX  333 

heads,  and  there  is  also  an  open  tower,  with  pinnacles, 
on  which  is  written  the  word  Alexandria^  to  indicate 
whence  the  body  was  obtained. 

(14)  St.  Mark's  body  being  carried  by  Tribunus 
and  Rusticus  to  the  ship,  in  a  basket  swung  from  a 
pole  across  their  shoulders,  and  a  custom-house  officer 
waving  them  off  as  they  cry,  Kan%ir !  Kanzir ! 
( pork  !   pork  ! ) 

(15)  St.  Mark's  body  being  wrapped  in  a  big  white 
sail  on  board  the  Venetian  ship.  The  words  Kan%ir^ 
Kanzir^  are  written  above  the  ship,  and  the  Moham- 
medan custom-house  men  are  getting  over  the  ship 
bulwarks  into  their  boat.  A  group  of  Egyptians  are 
at  one  side,  and  Theodorus  and  Stauracius  at  the  other, 
looking  on. 

(16)  The  ship,  with  her  white  sails,  on  one  of 
which  is  a  red  cross,  spread  to  the  breeze,  on  her 
way  to  Venice.     The  monk  Stauracius  is  on  deck. 

(17)  St.  Mark  rouses  the  sailors  to  save  the  ship  as 
it  is  being  borne  in  a  storm  amongst  the  islands  of  the 
Estuarie  (Estuary)  of  Venice.  The  sailors  are  seen 
pulling  in  the  sails,  and  the  monk  Stauracius  is  asleep. 

(18)  The  ship  safely  home  at  last.  The  sails  are 
furled,  and  those  on  board  raise  their  hands  in  thank- 
fulness. 

(19)  St.  Mark's  body  welcomed  by  the  Doge,  who 
has  the  patriarch  and  clergy  on  one  side  of  him,  and 
the  military  and  the  people  on  the  other.  An  outline 
is  seen  intended  to  suggest  St.  Mark's  Church.  The 
inscription,  which  is  elsewhere  met  with,  and  is  often 
quoted,  is : 

Pontifices^  Clerus^  Populus^  Dux  ?nente  serenus. 
Laudibus  atque  chorisy  excipiunt  duke  canoris. 


334  APPENDIX 

Note  B. — Mosaics  in  the  Zeno  Chapel. 

{Off  Baptistery.) 

(i)  St.  Mark,  asleep  in  his  boat,  receiving  the  vision 
that  told  him  of  his  future  association  with  Venice. 
His  boat,  driven  by  a  storm  on  to  the  Venetian  islands,  is 
tied  to  a  stake  amongst  the  reeds  of  the  lagoon.  There 
is  a  piece  of  blue  starry  sky  overhead,  and  an  angel, 
w^ith  a  tricuspid  narthex,  communicating  in  a  dream 
the  message  to  him.     The  inscription  is  ; 

Own  tram'itum  faceret  per  mare  ubi  nunc  pos'ita  est 
Ecclesia. 

Sancti  Alarci  Angelm  ei  nuntiavit  quod  post  ali- 
quant ufu. 

Tempus  a  morte  ips'ius  corpus  ejus  hie  honorifice 
locaretur. 

(2)  St.  Mark's  companion  St.  Hermagoras,  receiving 
a  crozier,  and  being  consecrated  Bishop  of  Aquileia 
by  St.  Peter. 

Beatus  Petrus  confert  Patriarchatum  Aquileiensum 
Beato  Hermachorce. 

(3)  St.  Mark  leaving  Rome  for  Egypt,  his  depar- 
ture represented  by  his  passing  through  a  gateway 
which  is  crowned  with  houses  and  church  towers. 

(4)  St.  Mark  in  Egypt  curing  a  demoniac.  The 
evangelist  has  his  book  in  his  left  hand,  and  his  right 
hand  raised,  rebuking,  in  Christ's  name,  the  evil 
spirit  that  possesses  a  naked  man  who  stands  in  a  cleft 
of  a  rock. 

The  inscription   referrring  to  these  two  mosaics  is, 


APPENDIX  335 

Sanctus  Marcus  recedens  Roma^  perglt  in  Mgyptum^ 
iblque  ejic'it  demonia  et  alia  multa  signa  fac'it. 

(5)  St.  Mark  writing  his  gospel.  He  sits  at  a  low 
square  table  on  which  are  his  inkstand  and  a  pair  of 
scissors.  His  disciples,  who  are  said  to  have  urged 
him  to  the  work,  look  on.  He  has  just  begun  to 
write  the  opening  words  of  his  gospel,  Initiufti  Evangelii. 
Above  the  mosaic  we  read  :  Sanctus  Marcus  rogatus 
a  fratrihus  scripsit  Evangelium. 

(5)  St.  Mark,  accompanied  by  his  disciples,  submits 
his  gospel  to  St.  Peter,  who  reads  and  approves  of  it,  and 
consigns  it  to  the  care  of  the  Church.  On  the  open 
pages  of  the  book  are  the  words  we  have  read  above  : 
Initium  Evangelii.  The  inscription  is  :  Sanctus 
Petrus  approhat  Evangelium  Sancti  Marci  et  tradit 
EcclesicE  legendum. 

(7)  St.  Mark  baptizing  at  Aquileia.  The  convert  is 
in  the  font,  and  two  men  stand  by  with  towels.  We 
read  :   Hie  Marcus  bapti%at  in  Aquileia. 

(8)  St.  Mark  sent  to  Alexandria.  As  in  a  former 
mosaic,  he  is  represented  sleeping,  with  an  angel 
imparting  to  him  the  vision.  On  a  building  there  is 
the  word,  Pentapolis^  once  the  name  for  the  five  cities 
of  North  Africa,  but  latterly  limited  to  Cyrennaica: 
Jngelo  nunciat  Sancto  Marco  ut  vadat  Alexandriam. 

(9)  St.  Mark  arrives  at  Alexandria.  The  light- 
house is  in  view,  and  the  ship's  sails  are  being  taken 
down.      Per  git  navigio  Alexandriam. 

(10)  St.  Mark  healing  the  shoemaker.  Anianus 
sits  with  his  knife  and  sandal,  and  wounded  hand,  which 
St.  Mark  heals.  Tradit  calceamentum  ruptum  sutori^ 
quod  cum  sueret  vulneravit  7nanum  suatn,  et  Sanctus 
Marcus  sanavit. 


336  APPENDIX 

(ii)  St.  Mark  is  martyred.  Whilst  at  the  altar 
celebrating  the  Holy  Commuuion  the  Evangelist  is 
killed.  One  man  hits  him  with  a  club,  and  another 
strangles  him  with  a  rope.  There  are  houses  in  the 
mosaic  to  represent  Alexandria.  Saraceni  celebrantem 
percuciunt  Sanctum  Marcum. 

(12)  St.  Mark's  body  maltreated.  With  the  rope 
that  strangled  him,  his  body  is  dragged  through  the 
city  to  the  place  of  bullocks.  Hie  catenatus  trah'itur 
ad  loca  Buculi. 

(13)  St.  Mark's  body  buried.  The  disciples  of  the 
Evangelist,  as  in  the  chancel  mosaic,  place  the  body  in 
a  sarcophagus.  Behind  them  is  seen  the  columned 
tomb  ready  to  receive  it.  Bishop  Anianus  reads  his 
gospel,  on  the  open  page  or  which  are  the  words 
Dominus  Deus.  The  inscription  is  :  Sepelitur  Beatus 
Marcus  a  Christi fidelibus. 

Note  C— Additional  Scenes  of  Christ's  Infancy. 

[In  Baptistery.) 

(i)  The  Magi  before  King  Herod. — The  Magi,  one 
old  and  two  young,  wearing  their  royal  robes  and 
crowns,  and  carrying  their  gifts,  stand  before  King 
Herod,  who,  sitting  on  his  throne  with  crown  and 
sceptre,  wears  a  troubled  look,  as  he  asks  in  the  words 
inscribed  above  the  mosaic  :  Ubi  est  qui  natus  est  rex 
'JudcEorum?     (Matt.  ii.  2.) 

(2)  The  Magi  presenting  their  Gifts  to  Christ. — As 
they  approach  the  Babe,  seated  on  His  mother's  knee, 
each  kneels  to  present  his  gift.  Christ,  as  a  king,  is 
clothed  in  royal  purple  and  gold,  and  as  Divine,  holds 
in  His  left  hand  the  Word,  and  blesses  with  His  right. 


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APPENDIX  337 

Behind  the  Magi  is  a  servant  leading  two  dromedaries. 
Recognising  in  the  visit  of  the  Magi  a  pledge  of  the 
ingathering  of  the  Gentiles  to  Christ,  the  text  selected 
to  accompany  it  is  from  Ps.  Ixxii.  ii  :  Adorabunt 
eum  omnes  reges  terrce^  et  omnes  gentes  servient  ei 
(All  kings  shall  fall  dov/n  before  Him,  all  nations  shall 
serve  Him).  Lastly,  a  great  beam  of  light  falls 
upon  the  infant  Christ  from  the  star  that  guided  the 
Magi,  which  again  obtains  its  light  from  another 
figure  of  Christ  in  the  apex  of  the  vault,  from  whom 
rays  also  stream  down  upon  twelve  prophets  beneath, 
who  bear  large  written  scrolls,  as  if  to  say  that  all 
Old  Testament  Messianic  prophecies  were  fulfilled  in 
Christ,  whose  messengers  they  were,  and  whose  words 
they  were  inspired  to  utter. 

As  this  Old  Testament  witness  to  Christ  is  almost 
identical  with  that,  similarly  rendered,  in  the  Chancel 
Cupola  (page  230),  I  need  not  reproduce  it  here. 

(3)  Jo^^p^^  warned  to  flee  into  Egypt. — By  the  side 
of  the  wall  of  the  house,  Joseph  is  represented  asleep 
on  his  couch.  An  angel  above  points  his  finger  down- 
wards at  him,  warning  him  in  a  dream  of  Herod's 
murderous  scheme,  and  bidding  him  take  the  young 
Child  and  his  mother,  and  fly  into  Egypt. 

(4)  The  Flight  into  Egypt. — Mary,  with  the  child 
is  seated  upon  a  white  donkey,  which  is  being  led  by 
a  youth  through  an  arch,  meant  to  suggest  Egypt. 
Joseph  walks  behind  carrying  a  cloak  on  his  staff 
across  his  shoulder.  The  youth  similarly  carries  a 
gourd-flask,  such  as  is  still  in  use  in  the  East  and 
in  Italy.  Above  is  written  (St.  Matt.  ii.  13):  Surge  et 
accipe  puerum  et  matrem  ejus  et  fuge  in  Mgyptum  et  esto 
ibi  usque  dum  dicam  tibi.     (Arise  and  take  the  young 

y 


S38  APPENDIX 

child    and  his  mother,  and    flee   into  Egypt,   and   be 
thou  there  until  I  bring  thee  word.) 

(5)  The  Massacre  of  the  Innocents. — This  is  repre- 
sented as  taking  place  in  a  wild  mountainous  country, 
one  soldier  is  killing  a  child  which  he  holds  by  the 
hair,  another  aims  his  spear  at  one  in  its  mother's  arms, 
and  a  third  is  sheathing  his  sword  satiated  with  the 
blood  of  the  children  lying  dead  on  either  side  of  him. 
The  text  is  (St.  Matt.  ii.  16)  :  Tunc  Herodes^  videns 
quoniafu  illusus  esset  a  magis^  iratus  est  valde^  et  mittens 
occidit  omnes  pueros  qui  erant  in  Bethlehem  et  in  o?nnibus 
finihus  ejus.  (Then  Herod,  when  he  saw  that  he  was 
mocked  of  the  wise  men,  was  exceeding  wrath,  and 
sent  forth  and  slew  all  the  children  that  were  in 
Bethlehem  and  in  all  the  coasts  thereof.) 

Note  D. — Life  of  John  the  Baptist. 

(/;?  Baptistery.^ 

Mr.  Ruskin  speaks  in  high  terms  of  the  mosaics  of 
John  the  Baptist  as  "  the  only  ones  in  the  interior  of 
the  church  which  belong  to  1204,"  but  recent  research 
has  shown  that  they  were  executed  by  the  Doge  and 
historian,  Andrea  Dandolo,  who  reigned  from  1343  to 
1354,  whose  tomb  is  on  the  wall  to  the  right  of  the 
font,  and  whose  portrait  is  in  one  of  the  mosaics — that 
of  the  Crucifixion.  The  mosaics  have  suffered  from 
restorations  made  about  twenty  years  ago. 

( I )  John^s  Birth  announced  by  Gabriel.  —  This 
mosaic  shows  the  altar  of  incense  in  the  temple,  on  the 
right  side  of  which  is  the  angel  Gabriel,  and  on  the 
left  Zacharias  the  priest  with  a  censer  in  his  hand. 
Gabriel  has  delivered  his  message  regarding  the  birth 


APPENDIX  339 

of  John,  but  Zacharias  had  ceased  to  expect  an  answer 
to  his  own  prayer,  and  disbelieves  it,  and  now  the 
angel's  hand  is  raised  menacingly,  and  the  strange 
appearance  of  Zacharias  shows  that  he  has  been  struck 
with  dumbness,  which  is  at  once  his  "  sign  "  and  his 
punishment.  Above  are  the  words  (Luke  i.  9,  11): 
Ingresso  Zacharia  templum  Domini^  apparuit^  ei  angelus 
Domini  stans  a  dextris  altaris  (Zacharias  having 
entered  the  temple  of  the  Lord,  ....  an  angel  of  the 
Lord  standing  on  the  right  side  of  the  altar  appeared 
to  him). 

(2)  Zacharias  Dumb  before  the  People, — Zacharias 
is  portrayed  leaving  the  Holy  Place  and  encountering 
the  people  in  the  Outer  Courts,  who,  already  marvel- 
ling that  he  had  stayed  so  long  at  the  altar  of  incense, 
now  raise  their  hands  and  look  at  one  another  in 
astonishment,  as  they  see  him  with  excited  look  point- 
ing to  his  tongue  to  indicate  his  dumbness.  The 
inscription  is  ;  Hie  sanctm  Zacharias  exit  ?nutus  ad 
populum  (Here  St.  Zacharias  comes  forth  dumb  to 
the  people). 

(3)  Zacharias  and  Elizabeth. — A  priest's  course  of 
service  lasted  one  week,  during  which  time  he  never 
left  the  temple,  and  Zacharias,  notwithstanding  what 
had  happened,  accompHshed  the  days  of  his  ministra- 
tion. He  then  "  departed  to  his  own  house,"  in 
Hebron,  in  the  hill-country  of  Judaea.  His  arrival  and 
meeting  with  his  wife  are  here  represented.  The  in- 
scription is  simply  :    .S".  Zacharia.     S.  Elizabeta. 

(4)  The  Naming  of  John. — The  mosaic  consists  of 
a  group  of  four  figures,  Zacharias,  Elizabeth,  and  two 
women,  representing  "  her  neighbours  and  her  cousins  " 
who  rejoiced  with  her   (Luke  i.  58).     The   child   is 


340  APPENDIX 

eight  days  old,  the  rite  of  circumcision  has  just  been 
performed,  as  is  probably  indicated  by  the  woman  with 
the  basket,  and  now  the  ceremony  of  naming  is  taking 
place.  "  Her  neighbours  and  her  cousins  "  have  called 
him  Zacharias  ;  Elizabeth,  pointing  to  the  child,  has 
said,  "Not  so,  but  he  shall  be  called  John."  An 
appeal  was  made  by  signs  to  his  father,  who  was  pro- 
bably deaf  as  well  as  dumb,  and  he,  on  a  book-like 
tablet,  is  writing  with  a  style  (Luke  i.  63) :  yohannes 
est  nomen  ejus  (His  name  is  John).  Of  the  two 
placard-like  inscriptions,  the  one  stating  that  the 
mosaic  is  John's  Nativity  is  manifestly  inaccurate,  and 
of  the  other  only  the  modern  date  1628  is  said  to  be 
correct. 

(5)  "John  led  by  an  Angel  into  the  Desert. — Moun- 
tains with  scanty  herbage  represent  the  desert-region 
of  Judaea,  into  the  recesses  of  which  an  angel  is  leading 
John.  If  St.  Mark  was  at  one  time  too  faint-hearted 
to  accompany  St.  Paul  and  St.  Barnabas  into  the  wilds 
of  Asia  Minor,  it  is  not  wonderful  that  the  boy  John 
hangs  back  on  this  occasion.  The  subject  is  taken 
partly  from  the  Gospel  of  St.  Luke  and  partly  from 
the  Protovangel'ium  of  St.  "James.  In  the  former  we 
read  (ch.  i.  80)  "And  the  child  ....  was  in  the 
deserts  till  the  day  of  his  showing  unto  Israel ; "  and 
in  the  latter,  that  his  mother  fled  with  him  for  fear  of 
Herod,  who  sought  to  kill  him  with  the  children  of 
Bethlehem,  thinking  he  might  be  Jesus.  Not  finding 
the  child,  he  killed  Zacharias,  and  on  the  death  of 
Elizabeth,  angels  took  John  under  their  care.  The 
inscription  is:  ^uomodo  angelus  secum  ducit  sanctum 
"Johannem  in  desertum  (In  what  manner  an  angel  led 
St.  John  with  him  into  the  desert). 


APPENDIX  341 

(6)  John  receives  a  CamePs  Hair  Cloak  from  the 
Angel. — The  scene  is  the  same  wild  desert  hill-country 
John,  now  a  grown  man,  is  about  to  enter  upon  his 
life's  work,  and  as  he  is  to  do  so  "in  the  spirit  and 
power  of  Elias,"  he  receives  from  the  angel  Elijah's 
garment,  namely,  a  cloak  woven  of  camel's  hair 
(2  Kings,  i.  8),  which  indeed  was  the  badge  of  the 
prophet.  As  John  takes  this  with  his  right  hand  he 
displays  in  his  left  a  scroll  with  the  one  word  that 
expressed  the  burden  of  his  message,  Mfravoare 
(Repent).  The  inscription  is  :  Hlc  angelus  reprce- 
sentat  vestem  heato  Johannl  (Here  an  angel  presents  a 
raiment  to  the  blessed  John). 

(7)  John  Preaching. — The  mosaic  suggests  a  syna- 
gogue. John  has  his  prophet's  cloak  wrapped  around 
his  waist  and  shoulders  like  a  plaid,  and,  with  a  cross- 
stafF  in  his  left  hand,  and  his  right  arm  extended, 
is  proclaiming  from  the  preacher's  desk  his  doctrine 
of  repentance.  According  to  the  custom  of  these  days, 
which  is  largely  that  of  the  present  time  in  Italy,  the 
men  and  women  sit  separately,  the  former  in  the  inner 
half  of  the  church,  and  the  latter  behind  them.  The 
inscription  is :   Hlc prcedlcat  (Here  he  preaches). 

(8)  John  Baptising  Christ. — The  Jordan,  represented 
by  broad  blue  and  white  diagonal  lines,  and  with  fish 
swimming  in  it,  is  seen  rushing  between  rocky  banks. 
A  little  figure  with  a  vase  typifies  its  source.  Our  Lord 
stands  in  the  river  up  to  the  elbows.  His  whole  figure 
however,  showing  through  the  water.  Above  His 
head  is  a  dove,  and  a  star  that  throws  down  a  stream 
of  light  upon  Him.  On  one  bank  stands  John  the 
Baptist,  wearing  his  raiment  of  woven  camel's  hair, 
with  his  right  hand  raised,  and  the  other  on  Christ's 


342  APPENDIX 

head  baptizing  Him.  Beside  John  there  is  a  barren 
tree,  with  leaves  only,  into  the  root  of  which  he  has 
struck  his  axe.  On  the  other  bank  of  the  Jordan  are 
three  angels  watching  the  scene.  The  inscription  is  : 
Hie  est  Baptis7num  Christ!  (This  is  the  Baptism  of 
Christ). 

(9)  yohn  witnessing  for  Christ. — The  scene  in  this 
mosaic  is  the  same  wild  mountainous  region.  Two 
groups  face  each  other,  one  composed  of  John  and 
his  disciples,  and  the  other  of  priests  and  levites,  who 
have  come  as  a  deputation  from  the  Sanhedrim  to  ask 
the  Baptist  concerning  himself  and  his  mission,  "  as  all 
men  mused  in  their  hearts  of  John,  whether  he  were 
the  Christ  or  not."  John  nobly  puts  himself  and  his 
work  in  the  background,  and  witnesses  for  the  Mes- 
siahship  of  Christ.  Part  of  their  question  and  of 
John's  answer  are  contained  in  the  inscription,  the 
latter  re-written  incorrectly — another  example  of  errors 
committed  by  the  restorers  through  ignorance  of 
Scripture.  ^uo?nodo  ergo  baptizas  si  neque  Christus^ 
neque  Elia^  neque  Propheta  ?  Ego  baptixo  in  nomine 
patrio.^  et  filii.,  et  spiritus  sancti  (Why  baptizest  thou, 
then,  if  thou  be  not  that  Christ,  nor  Elias,  neither 
that  prophet  ?  I  baptize  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit). 

(10)  yohn's  Head  brought  to  the  Feast. — The 
mosaic  represents  the  end  of  Herod's  birthday  feast. 
The  supper  is  over,  the  daughter  of  Herodias  has 
danced  before  the  king,  he  has  made  his  offer,  she  has 
made  her  request,  he  has  acceded  to  it,  and  John  has 
been  beheaded.  And  now,  as  the  mosaic  shows,  the 
head  has  been  brought  to  the  feast  and  given  to  the 
damsel.     By    the    door    stands    the    messenger    who 


APPENDIX  343 

brought  it  with  an  empty  charger,  and  Herodias's 
daughter  has  set  it  in  a  golden  one  on  her  head  to 
carry  it  to  her  mother.  Meanwhile  the  tragedy  has, 
momentarily  at  least,  shocked  the  king  and  his  guests, 
who  are  seated  at  the  banquet.  Herod  has  raised,  as 
if  in  horror,  his  right  hand,  whilst  with  his  left  he  still 
holds  a  wine-flask,  and  one  of  his  nobles  stops  whilst 
dipping  a  sop  in  a  goblet.  The  inscription  is  : 
Puellcs  sultanti  imperavit  mater;  nihil  aliud  petas^ 
nisi  caput  "Johannis  Baptistce  (The  mother  ordered 
the  damsel  dancing,  that  she  ask  nothing  else  but  the 
head  of  John  the  Baptist). 

(i  i)  "John  Beheaded. — This  mosaic  (out  of  its  proper 
place)  shows  the  prison,  not  unlike,  with  its  thick,  iron- 
barred  window,  a  dungeon  of  the  Ducal  Palace.  John 
has  been  brought  to  the  threshold  of  the  cell  for  execu- 
tion. The  blow  has  been  struck,  and  his  head  has  fallen 
into  the  charger  set  to  receive  it,  whilst  his  lifeless 
body  blocks  the  doorway.  The  executioner,  a  Roman 
soldier,  is  sheathing  his  sword.  The  inscription  is : 
Decollatio  Sancti  johannis  Baptista  (The  beheading 
of  St.  John  the  Baptist). 

(12)  yohn^s  Head  given  to  Herodias  by  her  Daughter. 
— Herodias,  who  "  would  have  killed  him,  but  she 
could  not,"  has  at  length,  more  successful  than  her 
prototype,  Jezebel,  in  the  case  of  Elijah,  had  her  wish, 
and  her  daughter  is  here  seen  presenting  her  with  the 
head  of  the  stern  rebuker  of  her  crimes.  She  is  gor- 
geously dressed  as  a  queen,  with  crown  and  sceptre, 
and  Mr.  Ruskin  thinks  not  simply  as  Herod's  consort, 
"  but  high  and  alone,  the  type  of  the  power  of  evil  in 
pride  of  womanhood,  through  the  past  and  future 
world,  until  Time  shall  be  no  longer."     On  the  wall 


344  APPENDIX 

beneath  this  mosaic  is  a  head  of  John  the  Baptist  in 
marble  on  a  gilded  platter,  and  below  it  there  is  a  slab 
of  Greek  marble  let  into  the  wall,  with  red  lines  or 
stains  on  it,  which  is  traditionally  said  to  have  come 
from  his  prison  stained  with  his  blood. 

(13)  Johns  Entombtnent. — The  mosaic  shows  a 
large  sarcophagus,  into  which  three  of  John's  disciples, 
by  the  aid  of  two  men,  are  placing  his  headless  body. 
They  are  attended  by  a  deacon,  who,  with  a  censer  in 
one  hand  and  an  aspergill  in  the  other,  incenses  and 
sprinkles  the  body.  The  disciples  are  clothed  in  white 
garments  covered  with  black  crosses.  Behind  the 
disciples  is  seen  the  domed  roof  of  the  tomb  prepared 
for  the  reception  of  the  sarcophagus.  Mr,  Ruskin 
says  it  is  "of  the  exact  type  of  that  in  the  museum 
of  Perugia,  given  to  the  ninth  century,"  and,  speaking 
of  the  whole  mosaic,  it  "  is  the  most  beautiful  design 
of  the  Baptist's  death  that  I  know  in  Italy."  One  of 
the  disciples  holds  a  book,  the  words  on  which  are 
mostly  illegible,  but  suggest  the  text  (Mark  vi.  29): 
"  And  when  his  disciples  heard  of  it  they  came  and 
took  up  his  corpse  and  laid  it  in  a  tomb."  The  in- 
scription above  the  mosaic  is :  Hie  sepelitur  corpus 
sancti  Johannis  Baptistce  (Here  is  being  interred 
the  body  of  St.  John  the  Baptist). 

Note  E. — Crucifixion. 

{Altar-piece  i?i  Baptistery.) 

This  mosaic  of  the  Crucifixion  has  fewer  scriptural 
details  than  the  one  described  at  page  270,  but  it  is 
notwithstanding  very  striking  and  interesting.  Our 
Lord's  feet  are  crossed  and  pierced  together  by  one  nail. 


APPENDIX  345 

From  the  wound  thus  caused,  and  from  that  of  the 
spear-thrust,  come  forth  streams  of  blood  and  water, 
the  one  from  the  feet  trickling  on  to  a  skull  (Golgotha). 
Guardian  angels,  veiling  their  faces  and  weeping,  hover 
above  the  arms  of  the  cross.  Beside  it,  on  Christ's 
right  hand,  is  Mary,  beyond  whom  is  St.  Mark  with 
his  gospel,  on  the  open  page  of  which  is  written  : 
In  illo  tempore  Maria  ?na  .  .  .  .  (In  that  hour 
Mary  His  mother  ....):  and  on  His  left  hand  are 
John  the  Evangelist  and  John  the  Baptist,  with  a 
scroll  on  which  are  the  words  Ecce  Agnus  Dei 
ecc  .  .  .  .  (John  i.  29).  Then  a*  the  foot  of  the 
cross  kneels  the  Doge,  Andrea  Dandolo,  and  at  the 
extreme  ends  of  the  mosaic  kneel  his  Grand  Chancellor, 
and  a  Senator,  sometimes  mistaken  for  a  woman. 

In  front  of  the  mosaic,  behind  the  altar,  is  a  huge 
block  of  red  Egyptian  granite,  brought  from  Tyre,  in 
1 1 26,  from  which,  the  old  chronicles  say,  Christ 
preached  to  the  inhabitants  of  that  city. 

I  have  before  said  that  our  St.  Mark's  Bible  knows 
nothing  of  a  dead  Christ,  and  so,  in  connection  with 
this  mosaic  of  the  Crucifixion,  must  be  read  those  of 
the  cupola  above  it,  where  Christ  is  again  represented, 
no  longer  nailed  to  a  cross,  but  sitting  reigning  upon 
a  throne  ;  and  not  only  reigning,  but  wielding  the 
sceptre  of  universal  sovereignty,  the  words  of  the 
Apostle  Paul  being  realised  (Phil.  ii.  8),  "And  being 
found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  he  humbled  himself,  and 
became  obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the 
cross,  wherefore  God  also  hath  highly  exalted  him,  and 
given  him  a  name  which  is  above  every  name,  that  at 
the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  of  intelli- 
gences   in     Heaven,    and  intelligences  in  earth,    and 


346  APPENDIX 

intelligences  under  the  earth."  In  the  apex  of  this 
cupola  Christ  sits  enthroned  on  a  starry  disc,  His  hands 
raised  in  blessing.  Close  under  His  arms  are  two  six- 
winged  cherubim,  and  around  the  disc  are  nine  angels 
each  with  its  narthex — one  having  two.  All  are  ruby- 
coloured,  symbolical  of  light  and  love.  The  "  intelli- 
gences "  over  which  Christ  rules  circle  around  the  dome 
under  His  feet,  the  order  evidently  suggested  by  St. 
Paul's  words  (Col.  i.  i6,  and  Eph.  i.  20,  21).  "For 
by  him  were  all  things  created  that  are  in  heaven, 
and  that  are  in  earth,  visible  and  invisible,  whether 
they  be  thrones,  or  dominions  or  principalities,  or 
powers ;  all  things  were  created  by  him  and  for 
him  ;  "  and  Christ  is  now  sitting  "  in  the  heavenly 
places,  far  above  all  principality,  and  power,  and  might, 
and  dominion,  and  every  name  that  is  named,  not  only 
in  this  world,  but  also  in  that  which  is  to  come."  They 
are  nine  in  number,  as  follows  : 

(i)  Plenitudo  Scientice  (Plenitude  of  Wisdom). 
"  According  to  the  wisdom  of  an  angel  of  God  to  know 
all  things  that  are  in  the  earth  "  (2  Sam.  xiv.  20).  This 
angel  has  ten  wings  and  its  name  is  on  its  breastplate. 

(2)  Throni  (Thrones).  Represented  by  an  angel 
crowned,  holding  a  sceptre,  and  sitting  in  a  starry 
sphere,  its  name  on  a  scroll  in  its  left  hand. 

(3)  Dominationes  (Dominions  or  Lordships).  The 
figure  here  has  a  balance  in  its  left  hand,  and  a  spear 
in  its  right,  with  which  it  strikes  at  a  dark  monster. 
In  one  scale  of  the  balance  is  a  man  and  in  the  other 
a  pile  of  books. 

(4)  Angeli  (Angels).  The  angel  ot  the  resurrec- 
tion, holding  in  its  arms  a  figure  "  bound  hand  and 
foot  with  grave-clothes," 


APPENDIX  347 

(5)  Archangel'i  (Archangels).  Holding  the  same 
figure,  into  which  life  has  returned,  and  from  whom 
the  grave-clothes  are  falling.  "  Loose  Him  and  let 
Him  go."  Between  the  angel  and  archangel,  who 
face  each  other,  there  is  an  open  vault  with  three 
figures  in  it. 

(6)  V'lrtutes  (Virtues).  A  mountain  cleft,  whence 
ascends  a  column  of  fire  in  which  is  the  face  of  a  man, 
and  from  which  issues  also  a  stream  of  water.  A 
skeleton  lies  in  front,  at  which  an  angel  points  its 
hand.  The  death  of  Death — "  And  death  and  hell 
were  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire  "  (Rev.  xx.  14). 

(7)  Potestates  (Powers).  "And  I  saw  an  angel 
come  down  from  heaven,  having  the  key  of  the 
bottomless  pit,  and  a  great  chain  in  his  hand.  And 
he  laid  hold  on  the  dragon,  that  old  serpent,  which 
is  the  Devil  and  Satan,  and  bound  him  a  thousand 
years "  (Rev.  xx.  42). 

(8)  Principatus  (Principalities).  A  fully  armed 
figure  with  helmet  and  sword,  seated  amongst  the 
stars. 

(9)  Seraphim  (Seraphim).  Gloriously  apparelled, 
and  bearing  a  sword. 

In  the  spandrels  of  this  vault  are  the  Four  Latin 
Fathers^  St.  Augustine,  St,  Jerome,  St.  Ambrose  and 
St.  Gregory  the  Great.  All  have  books  before  them, 
and  all  are  writing,  but  St.  Ambrose,  who  is  reading. 
Behind  each  stands  an  attendant  angel  j  "Are  they 
not  all  ministering  spirits  sent  forth  to  minister  for 
them  who  shall  be  heirs  of  salvation  ?  "    (Heb.  i.  14.) 


348  APPENDIX 

Note  F — The  Apostles  Baptizing. 

{bi  the  Baptistery.) 

Here,  in  the  Do?ne  above  the  Font^  there  is  repre- 
sented the  apostles  obeying  the  last  mandate  of  their 
ascended  King,  "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach 
the  gospel  to  every  creature."  Each  is  supposed  to 
be  in  that  country,  where,  as  we  have  already  seen,  he 
is  said,  in  history  or  tradition,  to  have  sealed  his  testi- 
mony with  his  blood,  and  there  he  is  baptizing  a  con- 
vert in  a  font,  beside  whom  stands  a  sponsor  clothed 
in  native  costume.  Behind  each  group  is,  in  every 
case,  a  tower  to  suggest  a  city,  and  above  is  inscribed 
the  name  of  the  apostle  and  the  place  of  his  labours. 
The  font  is  almost  in  every  case  a  square  marble  one, 
and  the  evangelist  places  his  left  hand  on  his  convert's 
head  and  blesses  him  with  his  right. 

(i)  St.  Matthew  in  Ethiopia  (in  the  town  of  the 
man-eaters).  The  sponsor  is  swarthy,  with  white  hair, 
is  gaily  dressed,  and  wears  a  turban. 

(2)  St.  Simon  (Zelotes)  in  Egypt. 

(3)  St.  Tho?nas  in  India  (Hindustan  and  Malabar 
coast).  The  sponsor  is  dressed  like  the  Ethiopian  in 
No.  I,  and  carries  a  cross-staff. 

(4)  St.  Andrew  in  Achaia.  The  sponsor  wears  a 
red  fez  and  white  turban.  A  tree  grows  on  the  rampart 
of  the  town. 

(5)  St.  Peter  in  Rome.  The  apostle  has  his  symbol 
of  the  keys,  and  carries  a  wand.  The  sponsor  is  a 
Roman  soldier  in  full  armour. 

(6)  St.  Bartholomew  in  India  {India,  superior).  The 
sponsor  wears  a  white  turban. 

(7)  St.   Thaddeus  in  Mesopota?nia.       This  apostle  is 


Photo  by  C.  Naya 


U.H.  Hard &■  Co. 


THE  BAPTISTERY  DOME 
The  Apostles  baptizing 


P-  348 


APPENDIX  349 

called  also  Jude,  and  Lebbaeus.     The  sponsor  wears  a 
curious  red  and  gold  conical  hat. 

(8)  St.  Matthias  in  Palestine.  The  sponsor  is  a 
young  man  and  bareheaded. 

(9)  St.  Mark  in  Alexandria.  The  sponsor  is  in  a 
white  Egyptian  robe,  with  red  and  blue  stripes.  Font 
here  is  round,  set  on  a  pedestal. 

(10)  St.  "John  in  Ephesus.  He  has  scroll  in  left 
hand  and  baptizes  with  his  right. 

(11)  St.  James  the  Less  in  Judcea.  The  sponsor 
holds  a  towel.     Font  is  shaped  like  a  cross. 

(12)  St.  Philip  in  Phrygia.  He  baptizes  with 
both  hands  on  convert's  head.  The  sponsor  wears  a 
small-crowned  straw  hat. 

Before  leaving  this  subject  let  us  notice  how,  as  the 
apostles  are  obeying  their  Lord's  command  in  going 
into  different  lands  preaching  and  baptizing,  so  He  is 
represented  fulfilling  the  promise  He  coupled  with  His 
mandate  ;  "  Lo,  I  am  with  you  all  the  days,  even  to 
the  end  of  the  world.  Amen  j  "  for,  from  the  apex  of 
the  dome,  seated  on  a  rainbow.  He  looks  down  upon 
them,  and  whilst  holding  in  His  left  hand  the  banner 
of  victory  over  Death  and  Hades,  and  a  scroll,  on  which 
is  His  mandate,  Euntes  in  mundum  universum  predicate 
Evangelium  omni  creaturce.  ^ui  crediderit  et  baptizatus 
fuerit  salvus  erit^  He  has  His  right  hand  stretched 
over  them  blessing  them,  as  when  He  was  parted  from 
them  on  the  mount  of  Olivet.  In  the  spandrels  of  the 
cupola  are  the  four  Greek  fathers,  each  exhibiting  a 
scroll  with  words  that  bear  upon  the  rite  of  Baptism, 

St.  Gregorius  Nazianzenus  :  ^lod  natura  tulit^ 
Christus  baptismate  curat  (That  which  nature  has 
brought  Christ  by  baptism  cures). 


350  APPENDIX 

St.  Basilius  :  Ut  sole  est  primum  lux  ?nundi^  fide  bap- 
tismum  (As  by  the  sun  first  is  the  light  of  the  world, 
so  by  faith  is  baptism). 

St.  Athanasius  :  Ut  unutn  est  numen^  sic  sacrn  munere 
jlumen  (As  the  Godhead  is  one,  so  it  is  a  river  of 
holy  gifts). 

St.  Johannes  Chrysostomus  :  Regnmn  intrabit  aqua 
quern  spiritus  ante  lavabit  (He  shall  enter  the  kingdom 
by  water  whom  the  Spirit  first  has  washed). 

Note  G. — The  Four  Sculptured  Columns  of 
the  Ciborium. 

[In  Chancel.) 

The  four  marble  columns  that  support  the  canopy 
of  the  high  altar  are  completely  covered  with  sculpture 
in  high  relief,  arranged  in  circular  bands  or  zones, 
nine  encircling  each  column.  Each  band  is  divided 
again  into  nine  niches,  in  each  one  of  which  there  is 
at  least  one  figure,  or,  I  may  say,  there  are  nine  little 
colonnades  of  nine  arches  each,  girdling  each  column, 
with  one  or  more  figures  under  each  arch.  The 
figures  of  one  column,  that  at  the  north-east  angle, 
represents  scenes  from  the  life  of  Mary,  taken  from 
the  Protovangelium  of  St.  yames.^  and  from  the  Gospel  of 
the  Nativity  of  Mary;  those  of  the  other  three  columns 
represent  scenes  from  the  life  of  Christ  taken  from  the 
three  synoptic  gospels.  Sometimes  one  figure,  some- 
times several,  go  to  form  a  scene,  to  the  understand- 
ing of  which  one  is  helped  by  a  few  descriptive  words 
carved  above  it.  The  work  is  more  curious  from  an 
art  and  historic  point  of  view,  than  profitable  in  any 
sense.  It  is  believed  to  go  back  to  the  fifth  or  sixth 
century,  and  the  columns  are  supposed   to  have  been 


APPENDIX  351 

brought  to  Venice  early  in  the  thirteenth  century, 
from  the  old  Roman,  now  the  modern  Austrian, 
town  of  Pola  in  Istria,  so  full  of  magnificent  ruins.  I 
shall  now  describe,  in  as  few  words  as  possible,  the 
scenes  depicted  on  these  columns.  They  begin 
at  the  bottom  of  each  column  and  are  to  be  read 
upwards. 

A. — Colwnn  at  north-east  angle^  behind  altar. — Scenes 
fro?n  the  Life  of  Alary. 

(i)  Joachim  and  his  gifts  spurned  by  Issachar  the 
High  Priest. 

(2)  Joachim  and  Anna  told  by  an  angel  of  Mary's 
birth. 

(3)  Joachim  and  Anna  speak  with  the  angel  of  the 
promised  event. 

(4)  Joachim  and  Anna  present  a  thankoffering  for 
Mary's  birth. 

(5)  Joachim  and  Anna's  thankoffering  of  a  lamb  is 
sacrificed, 

(6)  Joachim  and  Anna  lead  Mary  with  gifts  to  the 
temple. 

(7)  Joachim  and  Anna  dedicate  Mary  to  the  temple 
service. 

(8)  Issachar,  the  high  priest,  receives  Mary. 

(9)  Joseph's  rod  blossoms,  and  he  receives  Mary  to 
wife. 

B. — Column  at  north-west  angle,  before  altar. — Scenes 
from  the  Life  of  Christ. 

(i )  The  Annunciation  ;  Mary  suspected ;  Mary  and 
Elizabeth  5  the  Birth  of  Christ. 
(2)  The  Shepherds  y  the  Magi  j  King  Herod. 


852  APPENDIX 

(3)  The  adoration  of  the  Magi  ;  Christ  called  to 
the  marriage  at  Cana. 

(4)  Christ  calls  Andrew,  Simon,  James  and  John;  at 
the  marriage  at  Cana. 

(5)  Christ's  first  miracle  at  Cana ;  cleansing  the 
Temple  ;  at  the  well  of  Samaria. 

(6)  Zacchaeus  in  the  tree  ;  Christ  calls  him  ;  the 
centurion  prays  Christ  to  heal  his  servants. 

(7)  Christ  grants  the  centurion's  prayer  ;  Christ 
makes  clay  and  anoints  the  eyes  of  the  blind  man. 

(8)  Christ  raises  Lazarus  ;  He  cures  a  paralytic, 
who  carries  his  bed. 

(9)  Christ  besought  by  the  Canaanitish  woman  ; 
He  heals  a  lunatic  ;  He  heals  the  woman's  daughter  ; 
He  multiplies  the  loaves  and  fishes. 

C. —  Colmim  at  south-east  angle^  behind  altar. — The 
Life  of  Christy  continued. 

(i)  Christ  calls  the  disciple  who  said,  "  Lord,  suffer 
me  first  to  go  and  bury  my  father  "  ;  Christ  repels  the 
Scribe  who  said,  "  Master,  I  will  follow  Thee  whither- 
soever Thou  goest." 

(2)  Christ  heals  the  sick  brought  to  Him  from 
towns  and  villages. 

(3)  Christ  calls  Matthew  ;  the  Pharisees  murmur  ; 
Christ  cures  a  Paralytic  ;  Christ  and  the  two  blind 
men. 

(4)  Christ  calls  Simon  ;  His  feet  washed  by  a  peni- 
tent's tears ;  He  enters  into  a  ship  ;  He  calms  the  storm. 

(5)  Christ  in  the  country  of  the  Gadarenes  ;  He 
permits  evil  spirits  to  go  into  the  swine. 

(6)  Christ  besought  by  Jairus  to  heal  his  daughter  ; 
He  restores  her  to  life. 


APPENDIX  353 

(7)  Christ  heals  the  woman  who  touched  the  fringe 
of  His  garment ;  He  sends  forth  His  disciples  j  He 
teaches  the  necessity  of  cross-bearing. 

(8)  lb  XC  ;  Christ  by  the  lake  of  Gennesaret ; 
the  Miraculous  Draught  of  Fishes;  Jesus  with  Simon. 

(9)  Christ  with  Mary  and  Martha  ;  He  casts  out  a 
demon  from  an  adulteress  ;  He  cures  a  leper. 

D. — Column  at  south-west  angle^  before  altar. — The 
life  of  Christ,  continued. 

(i)  Christ's  triumphal  entry  ;  He  washes  His  dis- 
ciples' feet  ;  He  institutes  the  Last  Supper. 

(2)  Christ  prays  in  an  agony  in  the  garden  ;  He 
is  betrayed  by  Judas. 

(3)  Christ  heals  the  ear  of  Malchus  ;  Christ  led  to 
judgment  ;  Christ  condemned  by  the  High  Priest  who 
rends  his  garment  ;  Christ  denied  by  Peter,  when 
accused  by  the  maid-servant. 

(4)  Christ  looks  at  Peter  when  the  cock  crew  ; 
Peter  weeps  ;  Christ  examined  by  Pilate  ;  Judas  casts 
down  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver. 

(5)  Judas  hangs  himself;  Pilate  washes  his  hands  ; 
Jesus  scourged  by  soldiers. 

(6)  Christ  led  away  to  be  crucified  ;  the  Crucifixion 
(a  lamb  is  on  the  cross  instead  of  Christ,  as  was  the 
custom  up  to  787,  when  abolished  by  second  Nicene 
Council);  the  Sepulchre  guarded,  and  the  Resurrection. 

(7)  The  bodies  of  saints  arise;  Christ  in  Hades; 
Christ  appears  to  His  disciples. 

(8)  The  Ascension,  "  the  apostles  beholding  it  with 
admiration." 

(9)  Christ  in  Glory,  adored  by  the  Angelic  Orders. 
The  canopy  supported  by  these  columns  is  of  Verde 

z 


354  APPENDIX 

antique,  and  on  it  stand  figures  of  Christ  and  of  the 
evangelists,  that  of  Christ  being  twice  repeated,  in 
front  between  St.  Mark  and  St.  John,  and  behind 
between  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Luke. 

I  may  say  that  the  four  beautiful  spiral  columns, 
two  of  transparent  alabaster,  and  two  of  African  marble, 
in  the  small  apse  behind  the  high  altar,  are  said,  by 
the  old  chroniclers,  to  have  been  brought  from  Acco 
(now  Ptolomais),  one  of  the  oldest  cities  of  Phoenicia, 
spoken  of  in  the  book  of  Judges,  i.  31.  "  Neither  did 
Asher  drive  out  the  inhabitants  of  Accho^''  There  is 
also  a  popular  tradition  that  the  two  of  alabaster  had 
once  a  place  in  Solomon's  temple.  This  may  or  may 
not  have  been  the  case,  but  certainly  they  are  worthy 
of  it. 

Note  H The  Pala  D'Oro. 

{Behind  the  High  Altar.) 

The  magnificent  Pala  D'Oro,  or  altar-piece  or 
gold,  which  stands  between  the  first  and  third  of  the 
columns  just  spoken  of,  behind  the  high  altar,  is  en- 
tirely worthy  of  its  name,  whether  we  have  regard  to 
its  intrinsic  value,  or  to  its  merit  as  a  work  of  ancient 
Christian  art,  or  to  its  excellence  as  an  exhibition  of 
Biblical  Truth^  which  last  is  what  I  wish  mainly, 
though  briefly,  to  consider  here.  It  measures  eleven 
feet  long  by  seven  feet  broad,  and  consists  of  two  parts, 
an  upper  and  a  lower,  both  of  equal  length — eleven 
feet — but  the  lower  is  twice  the  breadth  of  the  upper. 
It  contains  about  thirty  pounds  weight  of  gold,  and 
nearly  ten  times  that  weight  of  silver.  It  is  adorned 
with  over  twelve  hundred  pearls,  and  twelve  hundred 
precious  stones,  although  the  latter  have  not  any  very 


APPENDIX  355 

great  value,  as  they  are  not,  for  the  most  part,  the 
original  ones,  which  fell  a  prey  to  the  invader  at  the 
fall  of  the  Republic.  Indeed  the  Pala  itself  then  dis- 
appeared, and  only  escaped  the  melting-pot  because  its 
value  w^as  not  known. 

What  strikes  one  on  looking  at  this  Pala  is  exactly 
that  which,  as  we  have  seen,  strikes  one  on  looking  at 
the  church  as  a  whole  (and  at  its  separate  parts,  too), 
namely,  the  Absolute  Supremacy  and  Sovereignty  ac- 
corded to  Jesus  Christ.  The  Pala  is  crowded  with 
figures.  If  we  include  busts  and  medallions,  there  are 
over  two  hundred,  yet  all  are  not  only  secondary  and 
subordinate  to  Jesus  Christ,  but  are  there  only  because 
He  is  there.  They  are  depicted  solely  as  His  servants 
and  subjects. 

We  shall  begin  by  reading  the  lower  portion  of  the 
Pala^  which  is  its  chief  part,  though  not  the  more 
ancient.  Christ,  then,  enthroned  —  the  cross-nim- 
bus behind  His  head,  His  monogram  IHC  XPC, 
His  right  hand  raised  in  blessing,  and  His  left  hand 
holding  the  open  book,  its  pages  studded  with  gems — 
is  its  central  figure,  and,  at  the  same  time,  that  of  the 
whole  Pala.  He  is  enclosed  in  a  large  circle,  around 
which,  in  smaller  circles,  are  the  four  evangelists 
writing  their  gospels  :  St.  Mark  and  St.  John  above, 
and  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Luke  below.  Immediately 
over  Christ's  head  is  the  "  Preparation  of  the 
Throne,"  on  either  side  of  which,  in  separate  spaces, 
is  a  seraphim  and  an  angel,  the  former  with  four  faces, 
and  four  wings  full  of  eyes.  Beyond  these  figures 
Christ  is  further  surrounded  by  apostles,  prophets,  and 
archangels,  marshalled  in  order  on  either  side  of  Him, 
in  three  rows.     The  middle  row,  which  is   the   chief 


356  APPENDIX 

one,  consists  of  the  apostles,  each  holding  his  book, 
six  standing  on  Christ's  right  hand,  and  six  on  His 
left.  The  lower  one  consists  of  Old  Testament  pro- 
phets arranged  under  the  apostles  as  follows  :  to  the 
right  of  Christ,  first  Ezekiel,  and  then,  in  receding 
order,  Moses,  Daniel,  Jeremiah,  Nahum,  and  Isaiah  ; 
to  His  left,  first  David,  then  Elijah,  Zechariah, 
Habakkuk,  Malachi,  and  Solomon.  Each  holds  an 
open  scroll,  on  which  is  inscribed  a  Messianic  prophecy 
uttered  by  him,  and  which  in  Christ  had  received  its 
fulfilment.  The  upper  row  is  composed  of  archangels 
similarly  arranged,  six  to  right  and  six  to  left  of  Christ, 
towards  whom  they  bend  in  worship,  each  bearing  a 
trefoiled  narthex,  and  sealed  on  the  forehead  with  the 
seal  of  immortality.  Forming  part  of  a  border  above 
these  are  scenes  from  the  Life  of  Christ,  namely.  His 
Annunciation,  Nativity,  Presentation  in  the  Temple, 
Baptism,  the  Last  Supper,  His  Crucifixion,  Descent 
into  Hades,  Resurrection,  His  appearance  to  Thomas 
and  the  other  apostles.  His  Ascension,  His  sending  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  at  Pentecost.  Six  figures  of  early 
saints,  three  on  either  side,  complete  the  border  above, 
which  is  then  carried  down  the  sides  of  the  Pala^ 
showing  scenes  in  the  Life  of  St.  Mark.  Lastly, 
below  Christ's  feet,  between  the  prophets,  are  five 
spaces.  In  the  centre  one  is  Mary,  with  her  hands 
raised  in  the  attitude  of  prayer,  to  her  right  is  the 
Doge  Ordelafo  Falier,  and  to  her  left  the  Empress 
Irene.  The  two  outer  spaces  are  filled  with  inscrip- 
tions, which  tell  how  this  portion  of  the  Pala  was 
made  to  the  order  of  the  above  Doge  in  1 105,  repaired 
by  Doge  Pietro  Ziani  in  1209,  and  again  renewed  by 
Doge  Andrea  Dandolo  in  1345. 


APPENDIX  357 

The  upper  part  of  the  Pala  really  carries  us  back  to 
our  Tenth-Century  church,  for  it  was  made  in  Con- 
stantinople by  the  order  of  the  Doge  Pietro  Orseolo  for 
the  high  altar  of  his  restored  basilica.  It  consists  of  six 
scenes  which  are  not  in  strict  chronological  order  : 
Christ's  Triumphal  Entry  into  Jerusalem,  His  Descent 
into  Hades,  the  Crucifixion,  the  Ascension,  the 
Descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Death  of  Mary.  In 
the  midst  of  these  scenes,  having  three  on  either  side,  is  a 
large  figure  of  the  Archangel  Michael,  flanked  by  two 
six-winged  seraphim,  and  a  labarum  with  the  word 
AriOS  thrice  repeated,  "Holy,  Holy,  Holy."  Be- 
side these  figures  and  scenes,  the  whole  Pala^  but 
especially  the  upper  part,  is  enriched  with  over  a 
hundred  medallions  and  busts  of  the  early  fathers,  and 
founders,  and  martyrs  of  the  Church. 

Note  I The  Chapel  of  St.  Isidore. 

{Of  North  Transept.) 

The  Chapel  of  St.  Isidore,  opening  off  the  north 
transept,  is  of  singular  beauty.  The  lower  parts 
of  the  walls  are  decorated  with  precious  marbles,  and 
the  upper  parts  and  its  vaulted  roof,  with  interesting 
mosaics,  made  by  the  Doges  Andrea  Dandolo  and 
Giovanni  Gradenigo  (1343-1355)5  and,  therefore,  of 
the  same  age  as  those  in  the  Baptistery.  The  chapel 
is  called  St.  Isidore's  because  it  contains  the  body  of  that 
saint — the  martyr-saint  of  Chios — who  was  killed  by 
the  Emperor  Decius  in  250,  and  which  was  brought 
from  Chios,  in  the  iEgean  Sea  (the  reputed  birthplace 
of  Homer),  in  1125,  by  the  Doge  Domenico  Michiel. 
Although    the   mosaics    depict   mainly  the   story    of 


358  APPENDIX 

St.  Isidore's  life,  yet  on  entering  the  chapel  it  is  not 
he    who    is    first   seen,   but   Jesus    Christ.     On   the 
east  wall,  above  the  altar,  Christ  sits  enthroned,  His 
right  hand  raised  in  blessing  and  His  left  holding  an 
open  book.     Beside  Him  on  the  right  is  St.  Mark 
with  His  gospel,  and  on   the  left   is   St.  Isidore,  with 
his  hands  clasped  in  prayer.     On  the  west  wall  Christ 
is   again  represented.     Here,  though   a  babe  on    His 
mother's  knee.  He  yet   has   His  right  hand  raised  in 
blessing,  and  in  His  left  He   holds  a   scroll.     Beside 
Him  on  one  side  is  St.  Nicholas,  the  patron  of  the  sea, 
and  on  the  other  John  the   Baptist  with  a  scroll,  on 
which  are  the  words ;   Ecce  Agnus  De'i^  ecce  qui  toUit 
peccatum   mundl    (Behold    the    Lamb    of  God    which 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world).     Then,  running 
round  the  vault  and  walls,  are  mosaics  which  give  the 
main  facts  of  St.  Isidore's  life — his  arrival  by  ship  at 
Chios  from  Alexandria  j  his  casting  out  of  evil  spirits  ; 
his  baptizing  the  people  of  Chios  j  his  being  thrown 
into  a  furnace  unhurt;  his  being  at  last  martyred  by 
being   dragged    at   the   tail   of  a   horse  ;    his   burial. 
Above  the  windows  that  look  into  the  Piazzetta  del 
Leoni  are   mosaics  that    show   the    Doge    Domenico 
Michiel  at  Chios  j  the  rape  of  St.  Isidore's  body  j  its 
being  borne  to   the  Venetian    ships  j    and   its   being 
deposited  in  St.   Mark's  Church.     Mr.  Ruskin  says 
that  the  tomb  of  St.  Isidore,  behind  the  altar,  made  by 
the  Doge  Andrea  Dandolo,  and  that  of  Andrea  Dan- 
dolo  himself,  in  the  Baptistery,  "  are  both  nearly  alike 
in  their  treatment,  and  are,  on  the  whole,  the  best 
existing  examples  of  Venetian  monumental  sculpture." 
It    is    interesting    to  remember,  before   quitting  this 
chapel,  that  here  we  are  standing  not  only  on  the  site, 


APPENDIX  359 

but  actually  within  the  walls  of  the  old  Church  of  St. 
Theodore  which  disappeared  to  make  room  for  our 
Eleventh-century  Church  of  St.  Mark.  When  the 
wall  that  separates  this  chapel  from  the  transept  was 
stripped  of  its  marbles  for  restoration  in  1832,  not 
only  did  the  side  towards  the  church  show  that  it  had 
once  been  exposed  to  the  weather,  but  it  was  found  to 
be  perforated  by  a  window  with  iron  gratings.  That 
is  to  say,  what  is  now  the  north  transept  wall  of 
St.  Mark's  was  originally  the  south  wall  of  the  church 
of  St.  Theodore,  the  window  of  which  looked  into  part 
of  the  famous  brolo  (orchard)  that  lay  between  it  and 
the  old  Basilica  of  St.  Mark. 

Note  K The  Treasury. 

{Off  the  South  Transept.) 

The  Treasury  of  St.  Mark's  does  not  contain 
many  objects,  because  it  was  plundered  at  the  same 
time  that  the  Pala  D^Oro  was  impoverished.  Still 
around  its  walls,  and  in  its  two  small  glass  cases  some 
things  of  interest  are  preserved.  On  entering,  one  is 
generally  first  attracted  by  the  Chair  of  St.  Mark^  said 
to  have  been  used  by  him  as  Bishop  of  Alexandria. 
It  is  very  graceful,  tall  and  narrow,  cut  out  of  a 
single  block  of  Cipoline  marble.  On  the  inner  side  of 
the  back  are  carved  two  evangelists  with  their  books, 
supposed  to  be  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Mark.  Below 
these  is  the  Tree  of  Life,  with  a  Lamb  (the  Lamb  of 
God)  standing  at  its  foot,  and  flowing  from  it  are  the 
four  rivers  of  Paradise,  or  the  four  streams  of  the 
Gospel.  On  the  outer  sides  of  the  arms  of  the  chair 
are   Seraphim,   and    candles    to    represent   Churches. 


360  APPENDIX 

Carefully  preserved  within  strong  covers,  but  open  to 
view,  is  the  fragment  of  manuscript  long  spoken  of  as 
part  of  the  Latin  original  of  St.  Mark's  gospel,  and  as 
bearing  his  signature.  But  it  is  beyond  question  that 
St.  Mark  wrote  his  gospel  in  Greek,  not  in  Latin,  and 
it  is  equally  certain  that  this  fragment  is  but  part  of  a 
fifth-  or  sixth-century  copy  of  Jerome's  Vulgate,  the 
rest  of  which  is  preserved  in  the  little  town  of  Cividale 
in  Friuli,  and  at  Prague.  Other  interesting  things 
preserved  in  the  Treasury  are  old  Byzantine  chalices 
and  patens,  which  are  remarkable  for  their  material 
and  for  their  extraordinary  size.  The  chalices  are 
cut  out  of  solid  blocks  of  precious  stones,  such  as 
chalcedony,  sardonyx,  onyx,  agate,  or  rock  crystal,  and 
they  are  bound  in  gold  and  silver,  and  inlaid  with 
gems,  or  adorned  with  the  symbols  of  the  evangeHsts, 
and  figures  of  saints  and  martyrs.  Several  have  a 
medallion  of  Christ  inside  them  at  the  bottom  of  the 
bowl,  and  one  that  has  two  handles  has  in  Greek  the 
inscription,  "  Christ  gives  His  blood,  which  brings 
life."  The  size  of  these  chalices  is  very  remarkable, 
and  at  once  suggests  the  thought  that  in  the  early 
centuries  the  withholding  of  the  cup  from  the  laity  was 
unknown.  They  are  almost  all  bowl-,  or  goblet- 
shaped,  with  low  broad  stout  bases,  and  some  measure 
nearly  thirty  inches  in  circumference.  The  patens 
are  also  correspondingly  large,  cut  often  out  of 
precious  stones  and  richly  ornamented.  One  of 
alabaster,  over  forty  inches  in  circumference,  bound  in 
gold  set  with  gems  and  pearls,  has  a  medallion  of 
Jesus  Christ  in  its  centre,  with  the  open  book  and  the 
blessing  hand,  and  round  it  the  inscription  in  Greek  : 
Take^  eat^  this  is  my  body. 


APPENDIX  361 

The  Treasury  building  has  a  special  interest,  as  the 
larger  room,  that  in  which  are  the  things  of  which  I 
have  spoken,  and  which  is  outside  the  area  of  the 
church,  formed  part,  as  the  enormous  thickness  of  its 
outer  wall  suggests,  of  the  Tower  of  the  old  Palace  of  the 
Doges^  into  which  the  body  of  St.  Mark  was  carried, 
when  brought  to  Venice  in  829,  and  where  it  re- 
mained till  the  first  St.  Mark's  Church  was  got  ready 
to  receive  it  in  832. 

Lastly,  though  St.  Mark's  Church  is  not  a  large 
structure,  and  though,  as  we  have  seen,  all  its  main 
walls  and  domes  and  vaults  form  the  open  pages  of 
the  Bible  we  have  just  read,  yet  there  are  about  it,  as 
about  the  Jewish  temple  of  old,  many  half  hidden 
away  recesses  and  rooms.  These,  which  long  lay 
neglected,  are  now  being  made  to  serve  useful  pur- 
poses. Those  over  the  lateral  atrium  are  being 
arranged  as  a  museum,  into  which  will  be  brought 
things,  ancient  and  modern,  that  have  a  connection 
with  the  building,  and  which  may  serve  to  illustrate 
its  wonderful  structure  and  history.  Other  rooms, 
those  over  the  baptistery,  have  already  formed,  for 
some  years,  what  is  called  the  Lahoratorio^  where  the 
artists  and  mosaic-workers  who  have  charge,  under 
the  Italian  Government,  of  the  church,  study  and 
labour,  not  only  to  preserve  it  in  good  order,  but  to 
clear  the  pages  of  our  Bible,  as  opportunity  is  afforded 
them,  of  those  modern  defective  mosaics  to  which  I 
have  more  than  once  referred,  and  to  re-print  such 
portions  with  their  ancient  characters.  Fortunately 
this  is  possible,  for  not  only  have  many  of  the 
original  cartoons  of  the  mosaics  been  found,  but 
large  quantities  of  the  antique  tesserae,  wherewith  to 


362  APPENDIX 

re-construct  them.  The  motto  of  the  able  and 
intelligent  director  of  the  works,  Signor  Pietro 
Saccardo,  is  "  Nothing  but  St.  Mark  is  worthy  to 
touch  St.  Mark,"  and  this  influence  is  felt  in  all  that 
is  done.  There  is,  therefore,  thus  guaranteed,  not 
only  the  material  preservation,  but  the  textual  restora- 
tion to  something  of  its  original  purity  and  beauty, 
of  our  unique  and  glorious  Bible  of  St.  Mark. 


INDEX 


INDEX 


Abel,  Bas-relief  of,  53 

History  of,  123-126 
Abraham,  Bas-relief  of,  53 

History  of,  142-154 
Abstinence,  Bas-relief  of,  38 

Mosaic  of,  284 
Acco,  Town  of,  354 
Acts,  Book  of  the,  300-314 
Adam,  Creation  of,  53 

History  of,  1 13-122 
Agony  in  Garden,  266,  353 
Aldo  Manuzio,  3 
Alford,  Dean,  229 
Aliense,  301 
Alipius,  St.,  154 

Door  of  St.,  28,  29, 
41,  61,  164 
Altar  Screen,  207,  218 
Ambrose,  St.,  347 
Andrew,  St.,  204,  306,  348 
Animals,  Creation  of,  113 

Naming  of,  117 
Annunciation,   45,   47,    54, 
214,215,  218,  351,  356 
Anthony,  St.,  186 
Antonelli's  issue  of  Bible,  3 
Apex  of  central  arch,  55 
Apocryphal    writings,   206, 
210,  240,  310,  340,  350 


Apollinaris,  St.,  186 
Appearances  of  Christ,  274- 

277 
April,  Bas-relief  of,  96 
Architect    of    St.     Mark's, 

Bas-relief  of,  75 
Architecture,  Arte  of,  79 
Archivolt,    Beatitudes    and 
Virtues,  36-40 
Ruin  and  Redemption, 

31-34 
Time,  94-101 

Trade,  77-91 
Ark,  The,  128-133 
Arnold  of  Rugby,  22 
Arti    (trades)    of    Venice, 

79-91 
Ascension,    Facade    mosaic 

of,  51 
Cupola      mosaic      of, 

278-293 
Bas-relief  of,  353 
Enamel  of,  356,  357 
Asia,  Churches  of,  317 
Athanasius,  St.,  350 
Athos,  Mount,  8,  234 
Aquileia,  9,  19,  62 
Augustine,    St.,    194,    239, 
347 


INDEX 


365 


Babe,  Christ   as,   45,    198, 
203,  204,  217,  219,  336, 

337,  352 

Babel,  137-139 

Baker,  Pharaoh's,  169-172 

Baking,  Arte  of,  82 

Baptism     by     the      twelve 

Apostles,  348 

of  Christ,  221,  341,  356 

by  St.  Hermagorus,  331 

by  St.  Mark,  332,  335 

Barber-surger)"-,  Arte  of,  86 

Barnabas,  St.,  59,  340 

Bartholomew,  St.,  baptizing, 

348 

martyred,  313 

preaching,  312 

statue  of,  204 
Basil,  St.,  350 
Bassano,  275 
Bas-reliefs  on  facade,  46 
Beatitudes    and    virtues    on 
archivolt,  36-40 

in  mosaic,  281-291 
Bellini's     picture     of     St. 

Mark's,  29,  77 
Benignity,  Bas-relief  of,  39 

mosaic  of,  284 
Benjamin,  183,  184 
Betrayal  of  Christ,  268,  353 
Bibbia  Sacra  Folgare,  i 
Bibbia  Volgare  Historiata,  I 
Bibles  printedin  Venice,  1-4 

last  printed  in  Venice,  3 
Biblia  Pauper  urn,  6,  16 


Bird-catching,  99 

Blaise,  St.,  186 

Blind  Beggar,  opening  eyes 

of,  253 
Boat-building,  Arte  of,  80 
Br  oh  4,  359 
Bronze  Horses,  28,  91 
Bruccioli's  version  of  Bible,  3 
Burning  bush,  192 
Butcher,  Arte  of  the,  83 
Butler,  Pharaoh's,  169-171, 

174  _ 
Byzantine  architecture,  27 
attitude  in  prayer,  47, 

203,  233 
code  of  Christian  Icon- 
ography, 7,  234 
doorways,  43 
illustrations,  17 

Cain,  history  of,  123-126 
Calvary,  on  way  to,  268 
Camel's  hair  cloak,  341 
Campanile  o^ 'it..  Mark's,  129 
Cana,  marriage  at,  45,  239, 

352 
Candiano,  Doge  Pietro,  12, 

21 
Carpaccio,  yj,  78 
Carpentry,  Arte  of,  87 
Cartoons  by  Aliense,  301 
Bassano,  275 
Padovanino,  301 
Palma  Giovane,  72,  jy, 
218,  315 


366 


INDEX 


Cartoons  by  PalmaVecchio, 

Paoletti,  315 
Querena,  41 
Salviati,  164,  211 
Sansovino,     164,    211, 

316 
Spagna,  Pietro,  41 
Tintoretto,  17,  77,  210, 
218,  240,  315,  316 
Jacopo,  315 
Titian,    17,    88,    176, 

203,  316 
Tizianello,  301 
Vecchia,   Pietro,    175, 

218 
Verona,  MafFeo,  51,321 
Veronese    Paolo,    241, 
316 
Cassian,  St.,  186 
Cathedral  of  Venice,  19 
Catherine,  St.,  176 
Cattaneo,  RafFael,  12,  69 
Cecilia,  St.,  186 
Centurion's  servant  healed, 

248 
Chair  of  St.  Mark,  359 
Chalices,  360 
Charity,  or  Love,  Bas-relief 

of.  39 

medallion  of,  164 

mosaic  of,  288 
Chastity,  Bas-relief  of,  38 

mosaic  of,  286 
Cherubim,  122 


Chios,  350 

Christ,  Alpha  and  Omega, 

235 
Apex,  standing  on,  56 
Appearances  of,  274- 

277,  356 
Ascension  of,  51,  278- 

293,  353,356,  357 
Babe,  as  a,  45, 1 98,  203, 
204,  217,  219,  336, 

337,  352 
Baptism,  221,  34  i,  356 
Christianity  is,  227 
Closing  scenes  of  life, 

259-265 
Creator,  34,  108-121 
Crucifixion,   270,  344, 

353,356 
Discourses  of,  228-238 
Door,  commands  every, 

31 
Door  of  the  sheepfold, 

232 
Faithful  and  True,  323 
Figure  of,  139,140,209 
Hand,  Divine,  1 24, 1 2  5, 

126,  128,  143,  144, 

147,  150 
Infancy   of,    210-220, 

336 
Judge,  323 
Key-stone,  30,  35,  42, 

43.  44,  45,  1^.  86, 

93,98 
King,235,28o,345,355 


INDEX 


367 


Christ,     Lamb,    42,     318, 
320,  321 
Life    (carved    on    co- 
lumns), 351-353 
Lion  of  Judah,  59,  205 
Living  Water,  237 
Master,  43 
Mediator,  sole,  3  I 
Miracles  of,  239-258 
Monogram  of,  42,  44, 

45,  232,  243 
Passion  of,  266-272 
Restorer  and  redeemer, 

31,  33,  34,47 
Resurrection     of,     50, 

273>  3+6,  356 
Suffering   Saviour,   42, 

121 

Supreme  on  Title-page, 

30 
Supreme    in    Church, 

205,  236 
Supreme  on  Pala  (Poro, 

355 
Teacher,  35,  41,  229 
Temptation  of,  223 
Transfiguration  of,  259 
Triumphal     entry    of, 

260,  353 
Vine,  The,  38 
Witness    to,     52,     55, 
154'  230,  342 
Christopher,  St.,  52,  1 64 
Church,  Doge  head  of,  18, 

19.  23 


Church,  Frari,  92 

Holy  Apostles,  14 
San      Francesco      della 

Vigna,  62 
San  Giacomo,  J 6 
San        Giorgio        degli 

Schiavoni^  78 
San  Giovanni  e Paolo, ()i 
San  Pietro  in  Castello,  1 9 
St.  Sophia,  14 
St.  Theodore,  ii,  15 
Churches,  Asia,  of,  317 

decoration,  code  for,  7 
Chrysostom,  St.,  350 
Ciborium,  columns  of,  350 
Circumcision,  Institution  of, 

154 
Clement,Doorof  St.,  123,126 
Codex  Cottonianus,  8,  9 
Compunction,  Bas-relief  ot, 
38 
Mosaic  of,  284 
Confeisione,  71 
Constantine,  7,  14,  92 
Contarini,  Doge,  14 
Cooper,  Jrte  of,  87 
Cosmos,  St.  186,  189 
Creation,  Six  days  of,  109- 

114 
Crypts  of  St.  Mark's,  12,  68 

69,72 

Damiak,  St.,  186 
Dandolo,  Andrea,  338,  345, 
356,  357,  358 


368 


INDEX 


Daniel,  154,  230,  356 
David,  King,  197,  208,  230, 

356 

December,  Bas-relief  of,  100 
Demetrius,  St.,  48 
Demoniacs,  255 
Deposition,  The,  49 
Dispersion,  The,  139 
Dives,  325 
Divine  Hand, The,  124,125, 

126,  128,  143,  144,   147, 

150 
Doge,  head  of  Church,  18, 

19'  23 
Candiano,  12,  21 

Contarini,  14 
Dandolo,338,345,356, 

357,  358 
Falier,  Ordelafo,  356 

Vital,  71,  128 
Gradenigo,  164,  357 
Michiel,       Domenico, 

357,  358 

Vital,  16,  138 

Orseolo,  12,  13,  16,  18, 

357 
Partecipazio,  Giovanni, 

II 

Giustiniano,     10, 
64,  67 
Selvo,  I  5 
Ziani,  356 
Dolomite  Forests,  87 
Dominic,  St.,  186 
Dominions,  346 


Domitian,  301 

Door,  Christ  over  every,  31 

central  inner,  203 

central  outer,  31 

I  am  the,  232 

Lateial,  43 

of  St.  Alipius,  28,  29, 
41,  e-],  164 

ofSt.  Clement,  123, 126 

of  Transept,  198 
Dothan,  158 

Dreams  of  butler  and  baker, 
170,  171,  172 

Joseph    (O.  T.),   15  s, 

156, 157 
(N.  T.),  215,  216 
Pharaoh,  172,  173 
St.  Mark,  62,  334 
Draught  of  fishes,  246 
Dropsy,  Cure  of,  245 
Drusiana,  303 
Dry  land.  Creation  of,  11 1 
Ducal  Palace,  68,  343 

Egypt,  161,  179,  189,  217, 

298,  337 

Eli,  163 

Elias,  or  Elijah,  259,  356 

Emmaus,  275 

Ephesus,  303 

Ephraim,  178 

Evangelists,  Figures  and 
symbols  of,  45,  53,  54, 
203,  208,  231,  236,  279, 

291,  354»  355 


INDEX 


369 


Eve,  1 1 7-1 19 
Ezekiel,  154,  208,  356 

Faith,  Bas-relief  of,  40 

Mosaic  of,  289 
Falier,  Doge  Ordelafo,  356 

Doge  Vital,  71,  128 
Fall  of  Man,  118,  119 
Famine,  175,  179,  180,  184 
Fan  tin,  St.,  194 
Fathers,  Latin,  347 

Greek,  349 
February,  Bas-relief  of,  95 
Feeding  the  multitude,  250, 

256 
Feet-washing,  262 
Fish,  Creation  of,  112 

Draught  of,  246 
Fishing,  Arte  of,  89 
Firmament,  Creation  of,  no 
Flood,  The,  1 31-13  3 
Fortitude,  Bas-relief  of,  40 

Mosaic  of,  290 
Francis,  St.,  186 
Frigipesce,  90 

Gabriel,  Archangel,  44,  47, 

48 
Gadarenes,  255 
Gardens  in  Venice,  97 
Gaudensius,  St.,  186 
Geminianus,  St.,  176 
Genealogical  Tree  of  Mary, 

21 1 
George,  St.,  48 


Gethsemane,  266 
God,  No  likeness  of,  107 
Gospels,  Leading  ideas  of,  54 
Gospel  of  St.  Mark,  Charac- 
teristics of,  59,  205 

Fragment  of,  360 
Grado,  9,  19 
Granaries,  Egyptian,  178 
Greek  artists,  i  5 
Gregory  the  Great,  347 

Nazianzen,  349 

of  Nyssa,  6 
Guilds,  Trade,  77-91 

Habakkuk,  163,  230,  356 
Hades,  49,  271,   349,   353, 

356,  357 
Haggai,  230 
Hagar,  148 
Hand,    Divine,     124,    125, 

126,  128,  143,  144,   147, 

Heaven,  326 
Hell,  325 
Hercules,  46,  47 
Hermagorus,  19,  62 
Herod,  King,  304,  342,  351 
Herodias,  343 

Daughter  of,  342,  343 
Hierapolis,  310 
Holy  Spirit,  Descent  of,  294 

297,  356,  357 
moving  on  waters,  108 
Hope,  Bas-relief  of,  39 
Mosaic  of,  176,  289 
2  A 


370 


INDEX 


Horeb,   Mount,    190,     192, 

196 
Horses,  Bronze,  28,  91,  92 
Hosea,  209,  230 
Humility,  Bas-relief  of,  38 
Mosaic  of,  283 

Iconography,  School  of,  7 
Impotent  men  cured,  252 
Infancy  of  Christ,  210-220, 

Innocents,  Massacre  of,  2 1 8, 

338 
Inscription  on  San  Giacomo, 

76,  290 
Isaac,  53,  152,  153 
Isaiah,  154.,  208,  230,  356 
Ishmaelites,  149,  159 
Isidore,  Chapel  of  St.,  357- 

359 
Isidore,  St.,  15,  357 

Jacob,  53,  162,  180 
James,  brother  of  John,  204, 

210,  295,  304 
James  the  Less,  309,  349 
January,  Bas-relief  of,  94 
Jeremiah,  154,209,  230,  356 
Jerome,  347 
Joachim  and  Anna,  351 
Joel,  209 
John  the  Baptist,  41,  221 

Life  of,  338-344 
John  the  Evangelist,  45,  53, 

198,  204,  259,  301,  304, 

349»354>  355 


Jonah,  230 

Joseph  the  Carpenter,  212, 
213,  215,  216,  217,  337, 

351 
Joseph,   History  of  (O.T.), 

155-185 
Judas,  268,  325,  353 
Jude,  311 

Judgment,  Adam  and  Eve, 
120 

Last,  40,  41,  323 

Solomon's,  164 
Julian,  St.,  194 
July,  Bas-relief  of,  98 
June,  Bas-relief  of,  97 
Justice,  Bas-relief  of,  40 

Mosaic  of,  290 

Keystone,  Christ  the,  30, 
35,  42,  43,  44,  45,  76, 
86,  93,  98 

Labarum,  298 

Lamb,  Symbol  of,  42,  318, 

320,  321 
Last  Judgment,  40,  41,  323 
Leading  ideas  of  gospels,  54 
Leper,  Cleansing  of,  241, 242 
Light,  Creation  of,  109 
Lion  of  St.  Mark,   45,    58, 

61,  231 
Living  soul  into  man,  1 1  5 

water,  237 
Lord's    Supper,    Institution 

of,  264 


INDEX 


371 


Lot,  Rescue  of,  145 
Love,  Bas-relief  of,  39 

Mosaic  of,  164,  288 
Lucia,  St.,  194 
Luke,  St.,  45,  53,  204,  231, 

^91'  354,  355 
Lysippus,  91 

Magi,  45,  219,  336,  351 
Magnus,  St.,  194 
Malachi,  197,  230,  356 
Malermi,  Nicolaus  di,  I 
Mamre,  Oaks  of,  151 
Man,  Creation  of,  113 
Manna,  194 

Marbles,  Variety  of,  10,  16 
March,  Bas-relief  of,  95 
Mariegole,  78 
Marini,  St.,  186 
Mariolatry,  No,  47,  199 
Mark  St. 

Body   brought   to   Ve- 
nice, 10,  63-65 
Resting-places  of, 
67,  68,  73,  361 
State  reception  of, 
66 
Chair  of,  359 
Character  of,  60,  61 
Church   of,    Architect 

of,  75 
Campanile  of,  139 
Doors  of,  27 
Marbles  of,  9,  10, 

16 


Mark,  St.,  Church  of.  Mo- 
saics, how  made. 

National      monu- 
ment, 23 
Pavement,  16 
Political     charac- 
ter, 19,  21 
Procurators  of,  18 
Ritual  of,  19 
Day  of,  72 

Gospel,  Characteristics 

of,  61,  205-207 

Manuscript  of, 

360 

Life  of,  331-336,  349, 

355,  366 
Lion  of,  45,  58,  61,  203 
Mosaic   figure  of,  198, 

203,  204,  232,  291 
Statue  of,  54,  207,  354 
Mary  Magdalene,  247 
Mary,  Virgin,  41,  47,  198, 
199,  204,  207,  208,  211, 

212,  350,  351,  357 
Massacre  of  Innocents,  118, 

338 
Matthew,   St.,  45,   53,   54, 
204,  232,  236,  291,  313, 

348,  354,  355 
Matthias,  St.,  349 
May,  Bas-relief  of,  96 
Melchizedek,  246 
Mercy,  Bas-relief  of,  39 
Mosaic  of,  285 


372 


INDEX 


Micah,  209 

Michiel,     Domenico,     357, 

358 
Vital,  16 
Milk    and     cheese     selling, 

Arte  of,  83 
Miracles,  45,  239-258 
Moderation,Bas-relief  of,  39 

Mosaic  of,  286 
Monogram  of  Christ,42,  44, 
45,  232,  243 
of  Mary,  47,  48,  199, 
204,  232 
Moon,  Creation  of,  112 
Mosaists,    Bianchini,     164, 
211 
Bozza,  241,  315,  316 
Ceccato,  301 
Gaetano  Brothers,   51, 

301,  315 

Girolomo,  301 

Marini,  218,  222,   315 

Moro,  198 

Pasterini,     260,     301, 
321 

Roncato,  218 

Salandri,  41 

Vecchia,  249 

Zuccati  Brothers,  315^ 
316,  323 
Mosaics,  Christian  art,  6 

Date  of  making,  16 

Furnaces  at  Murano,  17 

Workshops,  361 
Moses,  187-197,  226,  356 


Mother  of  Divine  Son,  48, 

199,  204 
Mount  Athos,  8 

Horeb,  190,  192,  196 
Olives,  260 
Tabor,  259 
Multiplication  of  loaves  and 
fishes,  250,  256,  352 

Nazareth,  Discourse  at,  228 
Nathan,  163 
Nero,  305 
Nestorians,  48 
Nicholas,  St.,  186 
Noah,  53,  128-136 
November,  Bas-relief  of,  99 

Obadiah,  230 

October,  Bas-relief  of,  98 

Old  Italic  version  of  Bible, 

Olives,  Mount  of,  260 
Orseolo,  Doge,   12,   13,  16, 

18,  357 
Padovannino,  301 
Pala  d'oro,  354-357 
Palma  Giovane,  72,  77,  218, 

315 

Vecchio,  77,  193,  301 
Palsy,  Healing,  243 
Paoletti,  315 
Parable    of    Two    Debtors, 

236 
Participazio,  Giovanni,  1 1 
Giustiniano,  10,  64,  6^ 


INDEX 


373 


Patens  in  Treasury,  360 
Paternian,  St.,  194. 
Patience,  Bas-relief  of,  38 

Mosaic  of,  285 
Patriarch  of  Venice,  19,  20 
Paul,  St.,  52,  204,  305,  340 
Pentecost  cupola,  294-299 
Peter,  St.,  52,  62,  204,  251, 

259,  267,  305 
Peter  Martyr,  186 
Pharaoh,     169,     172,     173, 

193 
Philip,  St.,  204,  310,  349 
Plenitude  of  Wisdom,  346 
Potiphar,  165,  167 
Powers  {Potestates),  347 
Preparation  of  the  Throne, 

296,  324,  355 
Presentation  in  the  Temple, 

219,  356 
Primicerio,  18,  19 
Principalities,  347 
Printing-presses,  3 
Procurators  of  St.  Mark,  i8, 

315 

Protovangelium  of  St.  James, 
210,  340,  350 

^ara?itania,  223 
Queen  of  the  South,  186 
Querena,  cartoonist,  41 

Raising  widow's  son,  242 
Red  Sea,  Crossing,  193 
Resurrection,  50,  273,  356 


Revelation,  Book'  of,    315- 

328  _ 
Rialto  inscription,  29,  76 
Rivers    of     Paradise,     117, 

293,  359 

Rock,  Striking  the,  196 

Reuben,  162,  182 

Ruskin,  Prof.,  31,43,47,95, 
97,199,205,211,219,223, 
282,  290,  338,  343,  344 

Sabbath,  Institution  of,  115 
Salviati,  cartoonist,  164,211 
Samuel,  163 
Sansovino,   cartoonist,    164, 

211,  316 
Sayce,  Prof.  145 
Saccardo,    Sig.    Pietro,    72, 

362 
Seals,  Seven,  324 
Selvo,  Doge,  I  5 
September,  Bas-relief  of,  99 
Seraphim,  347,  355,  359 
Sermon  on  Mount,  36-40 
Shoemaker,  Arte  of  the,  86 
Sigismund,  St.,  186 
Simeon  (O.T.),  182 
Simon,  Apostle,  204,    311, 

348 
Magus,  305 
Stylites,  154 
Smith,  Jrte  of  the,  88 
Sodom,  King  of,  147 
Solomon,  King,    164,    197, 
208,  230 


374 


INDEX 


Spirit,  Holy,  io8,  294.-297, 

356,  357 
Stachys,  301 

Steadfastness,  Bas-relief  of, 
36 
Mosaic  of,  287 
Stone-masonry    and    brick- 
laying, Jrie  of,  83 
Stones  of  infamy,  74 
Squero^  8 1 
Saint  Agnes,  176 

Alipius,  28,  29,  41,  67, 

154,  164 
Ambrose,  347 
Andrew,  204,  306,  348 
Anthony,  186 
Apollinaris,  186 
Athanasius,  350 
Augustine,    194,    239, 

347 
Barnabas,  59,  340 
Bartholomew,  204,3  12, 

313.  348 
Basil,  350 
Blaise,  186 
Cassian,  186 
Catherine,  1 76 
Cecilia,  186 
Christopher,  52,  164 
Cosmos,  186,  189 
Damian,  186 
Demetrius,  48 
Dominic,  186 
Fantin,  194 
Francis,  186 


Saint  Gabriel,  44,  47,  48 
Gaudensius,  186 
Geminianus,  176 
George,  48 
Gregory  Great,  347 

Nazianzenus,  349 

Nyssa,  6 
Isidore,  15,  357 
James  the  Greater,  204, 
210,  295,  304 

the  Less,  309,  349 
Jerome,  347 
John,  Baptist,  41,  221, 

338-344 
Evangelist   (^See 
John) 
Jude,  311 
Julian,  194 
Lucia,  194 
Luke  {See  Luke) 
Magnus,  194 
Marini,  186 
Mark  {See  Mark) 
Matthew     {See     Mat- 
thew) 
Matthias,  349 
Nicholas,  186 
Paternian,  194 
Paul  {See  Paul) 
Peter  {See  Peter) 
Peter  Martyr,  186 
Philip,  204,  310 
Phocas,  164 
Sigismund,  186 
Sylvester,  176 


INDEX 


375 


Saint  Simon,   Apostle,  204, 

3",  348 

Stylites,  154 
Theodore,  11,  15,  359 
Thomas  {See  Thomas) 
Sun  and  Moon,  Christ  Lord 

of,  35 
Creation  of,  112 
with  constancy,  288 
Supper,  Institution  of  Last, 

265 
Supremacy    of   Christ,    30, 

205.  236,  355 
of  Doge,  18,  19,  23 
Susanna,  218 
Sylvester,  St.,  176 
Syrophoenician  woman,  241 

Tabernacles,  53 
Tabor,  Mount,  259 
Tel-el-Armarna,  146 
Temperance,Bas-reliefof,40 

Mosaic  of,  282 
Tempest,  Stilling  the,  244, 

352 
Temple, Cleansing  the,  261, 

352 
Temptation,  118,  223 
Thaddeus,  St.,  348 
Theodore,  St.,  11,  15,  359 
Thomas,   St.,  48,  204,  276, 

308,  348,  356 
Throne,  Preparation  of  the, 

296,  324 
Thrones,  346 


Time  archivolt,  93-101 
Tintoretto,  1 7,  77,  2 1 8, 240, 

315 

Titian,  17,77,  ^8,  176,  203 

Tizianello,  301 

Tomb  of  Andrea  Dandolo, 

338 
Falier,  Vital,  128 
Gradenigo,  Barto.,  164 
Michiel,  Felicia,  138 
Norfolk,  Duke  of,  186 
Primicierio,  186 

Tower  of  Babel,  137-139 
ofDoge'sPaIace,68,36i 

Trades  archivolt,  77-91 

Transfiguration,  259 

Treasury,  359-362 

Tree  of  Life,  1 1 1 ,  1 1 6,  1 1 8, 

359 
Mary's  genealogy,  211 

Trench,  Archbp.,  223,  244 

Triumphal  entry,  260,  357 

Types,  Variety  used  in  St. 

Mark's  Bible,  5 

Understanding,     Bas-relief 
of,  40 
Mosaic  of,  283 

Vecchia,  Pietro,  218 

Paolo,  249 
Vegetation,  Creation  of,  1 1 1 
Verona,  MafFeo,  51,  321 
Veronese,  Paolo,  211,  241, 
321 


376 


INDEX 


Fetus  Itala,  4,  19 
Virtues,  347 

Virtues  and  Beatitudes,  Bas- 
relief  of,  36-40 
Mosaic  of,  281-291 

Walking  on  the  sea,  Christ, 

251 

Well,  Annunciation  at  the, 

214 
Joseph  in  the,  i  59,  1 60 
Moses  at  the,  190 
Samaritan    woman    at 

the,  237 
Wine  selling.  Arte  of,  81 


Woman  in  adultery,  260 
with    issue    of    blood, 

249 
with  spirit  of  infirmity, 

257 
Wood-sawing,  Arte  of,  87 

Zacch^us,  238,  352 
Zacharias,    211,   212,   338, 

339.  340 
Zattere^  88 

Zechariah,  197,  231,  357 

Ziani,  Doge  Pietro,  356 

Zuccati  Brothers,  315,  316, 

323 


Printed  by  Ballantyne,  Hanson  (Et"  Co. 
London  &'  Edinburgh 


y"' 


/ 


>vf> 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACIUTr 


D     000  345  172     1 


